Burrowing under soil opens up a whole new world, especially when that soil is on other planets. Getting under the top layer of regolith on a world such as Mars could give access to a world still extant with life, whereas, on the Moon, it could lead to discovering a water source. So, for almost 30 years, scientists have been developing robots based on that most well-known burrowing machine here on Earth – the mole. Unfortunately, the models that have made it into space so far have failed for various reasons, but that hasn’t stopped more research groups from trying to perfect their own version of a mole robot. A paper from a research group at Guangdong University of Technology in China describes their efforts and frustrations in mimicking one of nature’s more unique but capable specialists.
Continue reading “Burrowing Mole-Bot Could Characterize Other Planet’s Soil”Bio-Mimicry and Space Exploration

“Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are laboring in vain.”
-Leonardo DaVinci
What DaVinci was talking about, though it wasn’t called it at the time, was biomimicry. Biomimicry is the practice of using designs from the natural world to solve technological and engineering problems. Were he alive today, there’s no doubt that Mr. DaVinci would be a big proponent of biomimicry.
Nature is more fascinating the deeper you look into it. When we look deeply into nature, we’re peering into a laboratory that is over 3 billion years old, where solutions to problems have been implemented, tested, and revised over the course of evolution. That’s why biomimicry is so elegant: on Earth, nature has had more than 3 billion years to solve problems, the same kinds of problems we need to solve to advance in space exploration.
The more powerful our technology gets, the deeper we can see into nature. As greater detail is revealed, more tantalizing solutions to engineering problems present themselves. Scientists who look to nature for solutions to engineering and design problems are reaping the rewards, and are making headway in several areas related to space exploration.