In this way the design of the new wheels resistant to the Martian surface arose. This discovery was made at the NASA Glenn Research Center in collaboration with Goodyear.
Development of a new robot
To overcome the drawbacks presented by previous models, specialists had to work hard to find the perfect model to send to Mars.
Scientists tried various options, but achieved a breakthrough in wheel design with the use of memory alloys that might revolutionize the way humans think regarding movement, according to NASA.
The most complex problem faced by the rover engineering team from Mars it was the enormous weight of the vehicle itself. In order to have a device suitable for exploration on the red planet, engineers had to create a much heavier unit.
The wheels of this new robot were designed with the intention of breaking all previous distance records. This implies that the rover and its wheels had to be much more durable to increase the overall weight of the unit. However, before factoring the new weight features into the design, the creators knew they had to reinvent the propulsion system of this explorer.
the new wheels
NASA engineers were well aware of the aluminum tire durability issues. Aluminum is a light and resistant material, but following a few trips they are unusable.
The solution they found to replace this material was the memory alloy. This system is made with a unique type of metal blend called nitinol and return to their initial structure naturally when energy is applied or removed.
Thanks to the alloy Nickel and Titanium they created a mesh that shapes a tire. This new material has a great sharp object resistancebut his best quality is the ability to deform and then recover its original state.