Insight
Danish robot technology will help collect samples from Mars
The Danish Technological Institute is participating in the international technology consortium, which will develop the robotics technology that can collect soil and rock samples from Mars. NASA and ESA are preparing for a large-scale space mission, which seeks answers to whether there was once life on the planet Mars.
Currently, NASA's special vehicle Perseverance is collecting soil and rock samples on the red planet, and therefore planning begins for the mission back to Earth. In this situation, ESA has recently selected the European organizations that will deliver the Sample Transfer Arm, which will move the samples on board the return rocket. And on this team, the Technological Institute's vision and robot specialists in Odense will help program the camera system for the robotic arm. The Sample Transfer Arm is one of ESA's largest contributions to the NASA-led Mars Sample Return mission.
Bridge between Danish robotics research and the space elite
Space missions to Mars have had scientific instruments from Denmark on board for many years, but this is the first time that specialists from the Danish robotics industry have become part of the space research.
“We are proud to be able to take the next step in the adventure for Danish robotics technology. It is a testament to Denmark's competence in robotics to be selected as a partner in a field of companies that belong to the world's elite in the development of robots for the most demanding conditions.”
Interplanetary treasure hunt on Mars
The robotic arm will pick up the samples and load them on a return vehicle. After this, the 57 million kilometer journey back to Earth begins.
“We normally call the robot's task a pick and place operation, and there are many of them in the industry today. But the conditions on Mars are very different and more unknown than in a production hall here on Earth, so it is crucial that the camera system provides accurate input to the robot so it will be able to grab the samples as planned. Building a 200 percent robust system, which can handle that mission - and at that distance - is a big task that we look forward to contributing to solve. We also send a big thank you to the partnership for Space Exploration Denmark, which has helped open the door for this project.”
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