A science fiction-like eel-shaped robot could be swimming under Europa’s crust in a few years. Europa, which is one of Jupiter’s moons, has been a source of fascination for researchers for years. It is believed by many experts that the first signs of life in space will be found there.
What will this eel-like robot look and perform like?
The inspiration for this machine, unsurprisingly, is the eel. This is due to the relative simplicity of the design, and because the goal was to make the robot swim efficiently like a natural organism. The team behind the robot wants to test it under conditions that replicate those on Europa in terms of temperature, pressure, and radiation. Also importantly, the energy source for the eel robot must be readily available in the dim depths of Europa’s oceans.
What will the design of the eel-like robot feature?
The Cornell University team of engineers behind the eel-like robot (eelbot?) has just received a $100,000 grant from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts to advance to the next phase in its design. The design proposes electrodynamic tentacles that harvest energy from the magnetic fields around the robot. Equally strangely, the robot would also be able to electrolyze water, breaking it up into oxygen and hydrogen, store it, and ignite it in its body and limbs. This is what would cause the robot’s inner chambers to expand and deflate, thus allowing it to move in an organic swimming form. The team also hopes to give the robot a flexible, luminescent skin, which would work like a wearable flash for photography. A robot similar to this one can perhaps pave the way for other soft-skinned rovers.
What do scientists hope to learn from Europa data?
The data gathered by the eel-like robot could help assess the fascinating possibility that some life on Europa may be powered by electromagnetic energy. It will also point the direction of future Europa exploration missions. Just last year, NASA proposed a $15 million plan to launch the beginning of a Europa mission, likely in the mid-2020’s.
