These robots are out of this world
It may have lacked the destructive mayhem of a BattleBots competition, but the 2015 Sample Return Robot Challenge also just may hold the key in furthering our space exploration goals. Sixteen teams competed in the event held
last month at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass. Shown here (clockwise from top left) are
vehicles from the Army of Angry Robots team, the Mind and Iron team, and Team Survey. Teams were required to
demonstrate autonomous robots that can locate and collect samples from a varied terrain, operating without human
control. Innovations stemming from the challenge may improve NASA’s capability to explore a variety of destinations in space, as well as enhance the nation’s robotic technology for use in industries and applications on Earth.
Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky