Olympus – ESA’s Jumping Robot That Could Leap Into Mars’ Untouched Terrain


“Meet Olympus — the European Space Agency’s four-legged robot designed to explore the Moon and Mars. In recent tests at ESA’s ORBIT facility in the Netherlands, it showed off its ability to jump and reorient itself under simulated Martian gravity — about 38% of Earth’s pull.”

“Olympus was mounted upside-down on a friction-free, air-cushioned platform — imagine an air-hockey table for robots. This allowed engineers to test its agility in conditions similar to those on Mars, without the dust and danger.”

“Using reinforcement learning, Olympus taught itself how to control its orientation and land on all four feet — even when the platform spun. It performed wall-to-wall jumps with remarkable stability.”

“Unlike wheeled rovers, Olympus can leap over obstacles and even venture into lava tubes or caverns — terrain that’s off-limits to most current robotic explorers.”

“With agility, intelligence, and a knack for keeping its balance, Olympus could one day help astronauts reach parts of Mars that have never been explored before — in just a few leaps.”

And that’s your robot news update for today!
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