Inchworm-inspired robot uses 10 MeV-tolerant muscles to navigate Mars-like terrain

Researchers built an inchworm-inspired soft crawler for space exploration using a rolled dielectric elastomer actuator and carbon-nanotube electrodes.

The design cuts mechanical complexity, runs at low voltage, and can better tolerate radiation damage than conventional rover parts.

It steers passively through terrain grooves and was tested on Mars-like ground at the ESA Mars Yard.

The team says the approach could lead to simpler, more efficient, and more resilient robots for Mars, the Moon, and other harsh worlds.