NASA is developing several new technologies including solid rocket boosters, the Orion spacecraft, and theoretical warp drive and Alcubierre drive designs. Tensegrity structures provide advantages for robots and bots, with NASA exploring their use for replacing rovers on Titan through a proposed Super Ball Bot design that would be more compact and economical than traditional rover designs.

1. NASA’S TECHNOLOGY
At latest…..

2. Recent Developments ………

3. SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS
• Most powerful reusable “rocket” boosters ever built .
• Solid propellant.
• Long cylindrical motor for directional burning of
propellant.
• Thrust force of 53*10^5 lbs.
• Propellant: Like hard rubber typewriter eraser.
• Contents: Namely oxidizer and aluminum with
ammonium perchlorate.

4. NASA’S ORION SPACECRAFT
• For deep space explorations controlled by humans.

5. NASA’S SPACE WARP DRIVE-ALCUBIERRE
DRIVE

6. • We cannot travel faster than speed of light but space
can. (Evidence: Observable Universe)
• Bubble formation: 10 times faster than speed of light by
warping space.
• Lag: Energy needs.
• Design: Donut shaped.
Middle part: Crew and Robotic arm.
• Ring : Exotic matter.
Not Just a Fiction

7. SUPER BALL BOT

8. TENSEGRITY- “TENSION” + “STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY”

9. NEXT GENERATION BOTS….
• Full capability to replace rovers and on their way
to Titan .
Advantages:
1.Througout dispensation of force.
2.Maximum strength to weight ratio.
3.Pure compression and tension.
4.No lever arms.
Insight:
Forces felt in strings mostly and at the point of concurrence.

10. 86% REDUCTION IN LANDING FORCES WITH TENSEGRITY
Position vs Time test Acceleration vs Time test

11. REPLACING ROVERS

12. BIO TENSEGRITY….
Cellular Tensegrity
Skeletal Tensegrity
Body Tensegrity
Force dispenses throughout the body
and not just felt at the joints.

13. THE TITAN MISSION..
• Large amount of hydrocarbons (eg. Methane)
• Seasonal variations and interactions of the atmosphere
and surface.
• Prebiological and protobiological chemistry.
• Atmospheric dynamics and meteorology.

14. THE SUPER BALL BOT
Payload in the form of ball.
Containing actuators, mass spectrometer, meteorology package, imaging package
etc.
Super compactness.
Economically feasible.

15. SIMULATION VIDEO

16. HOW TO MAKE SUCH A MODEL
Use concept of Golden rectangle to calculate: Just like Icosahedron
1. Payload size per rod size.
2. Length of strings.

17. THANK YOU!!