Golden wheel spider-inspired rolling robots for planetary exploration

Humans have been fascinated with nature and attempting to mimic what they see in nature for millennia. Using inspiration from organisms found in nature assists in developing a system that is well-suited for specific tasks and environments. This process is called bio-inspiration. When designing bio-inspired robots, locomotion is one of the most common sources of inspiration. Exploratory robots are often limited to wheels as the mode of transportation, but there are so many more options, each with its own benefits and uses. This work focuses on the design and development of various rolling robots for planetary exploration. Specifically, these rolling robots are being designed for the exploration of the Martian surface. The main source of inspiration for these rovers is the Golden Wheel Spider. This spider is known for its wind-assisted rolling capabilities, allowing it to traverse sand dunes with minimal effort quickly. In addition to prototypes, a dynamical model of the conceptual Spider Rolling Robot (SRR) has been developed. Studies have been done to determine just how much the wind will be able to assist the SRR under realistic conditions on the Martian surface. Finally, CoppeliaSim simulations have been built to test and compare various model designs to find the most effective form of the SRR.