6-legged Robots Heading to Mars, Building Outpost

[exfileme]

NASA is sending robots to Mars to build a human outpost.

6-legged Robots Heading to Mars, Building Outpost : Read more

 

[Guest]

Spirit is not abandoned! There is still a good chance she will wake up when the amount of available solar energy increases. At that point there is a still a lot of science that can be done from a stationary position.

 

[blasterth]

Able to carry up to 14.5 tons on mars or on earth?

 

[jellico]

That's pretty cool, actually. Unfortunately, we'll get up there and find our base has been wrecked by wierd little bugs, or we'll find a disheveled Don Cheadle wandering around, muttering to himself like a mad-man.

 

[sliem]

[citation][nom]blasterth[/nom]Able to carry up to 14.5 tons on mars or on earth?[/citation]

Good question.

 

[zak_mckraken]

[citation][nom]blasterth[/nom]Able to carry up to 14.5 tons on mars or on earth?[/citation]
Well, 14.5 tons is 14.5 tons. The fact that gravity reduces the weigth of objects doesn't mean that the weight capacity of the robot is changed.

 

[Tyellock]

NASA said that the Athletes will help the astronauts once they arrive planet-side by carrying their luggage and offering transportation across the rugged terrain.

From frontier worker to bellhop when the humans arrive. The start of Cylon hatred.

 

[husker]

[citation][nom]blasterth[/nom]Able to carry up to 14.5 tons on mars or on earth?[/citation]
If they are taking about a metric ton (1000 Kilograms) then the question is irrelevant. A metric ton is a measure of mass, not weight. Mass is how much matter is contained by an object, whereas weight is a measure of how much gravity pulls on that mass. The amount of mass (14.5 metric tons) would be the same on Earth and Mars, although its weight would be substantially reduced on Mars.

 

[Spike53]

If it is a mass of 14.5 tonnes, it will remain unchanged no matter what the gravity is. If it's weight, it will be less than on Earth due to less gravity. It would be nice to have some clarification in the article.

 

[jellico]

[citation][nom]zak_mckraken[/nom]Well, 14.5 tons is 14.5 tons. The fact that gravity reduces the weigth of objects doesn't mean that the weight capacity of the robot is changed.[/citation]
I believe you're confusing mass with weight. It's an unfortunate tendency to use the two terms interchangably. Mass refers to the product of an object's volume and density. Weight is the affect of gravitational acceleration on that mass. So when we say it can lift 14.5 tons (short tons, I assume), what we are saying is that machine produces enough force to overcome the pull of gravity and lift an object of that mass. In a lower gravity environment, the effect of gravity on that same mass is not as pronounced, but the robot is still able to generate an equivalent force. F = M x A. The F is fixed (the amount of force the robot can generate). A (the acceleration of gravity) is now lower which means the robot is now able to lift a greater mass M.

 

[house70]

[citation][nom]blasterth[/nom]Able to carry up to 14.5 tons on mars or on earth?[/citation]
a ton is a measurement of mass, not weight. It is 100 kg. Mass does not change is the object doesnt change. Weight depends on the gravitational pull, so it will change.

 

[theblade]

[citation][nom]jellico[/nom]I believe you're confusing mass with weight. It's an unfortunate tendency to use the two terms interchangably. Mass refers to the product of an object's volume and density. Weight is the affect of gravitational acceleration on that mass. So when we say it can lift 14.5 tons (short tons, I assume), what we are saying is that machine produces enough force to overcome the pull of gravity and lift an object of that mass. In a lower gravity environment, the effect of gravity on that same mass is not as pronounced, but the robot is still able to generate an equivalent force. F = M x A. The F is fixed (the amount of force the robot can generate). A (the acceleration of gravity) is now lower which means the robot is now able to lift a greater mass M.[/citation]
But the same weight, the robot can lift a mass that weights 14.5 tons on earth, and a different mass (a larger one) that produces de same weight (14.5 tons) on Mars, they mean weight because as you said F = M x A and F is fixed, the amount of mass that the robot can carry is what changes, not the amount of weight.

 

[sliem]

Alright, alright. How about this. The robot can carry 14.5 item car (let's assume) on earth. Bring that robot AND the item to mars. Can that robot now carry that same item there?

 

[jellico]

[citation][nom]TheBlade[/nom]But the same weight, the robot can lift a mass that weights 14.5 tons on earth, and a different mass (a larger one) that produces de same weight (14.5 tons) on Mars, they mean weight because as you said F = M x A and F is fixed, the amount of mass that the robot can carry is what changes, not the amount of weight.[/citation]
Uh, yes I know, that's exactly what I said.

 

[l_mckeon]

"NASA said that it is currently working on a six-legged robot that can walk or roll on wheels."

Tachikoma?

 

[Guest]

"...short tons..."

I certainly hope that NASA has taken to heart the price of using anything other than SI units when doing scientific calculations.

 

[figgus]

[citation][nom]house70[/nom]a ton is a measurement of mass, not weight. It is 100 kg. Mass does not change is the object doesnt change. Weight depends on the gravitational pull, so it will change.[/citation]

A ton is also 2000 pounds, a unit of WEIGHT. The article was indeed very vague.

Also, a metric ton is 1000kg, not 100... A metric ton of mass is ~2200 pounds of weight in Earth gravity.

 

[husker]

I will probably get voted down for this as I did in my earlier comment about mass vs. weight, but some people just don't seem to understand the difference.

Keep in mind that momentum will play a part in the robot's limitations not just pure lifting ability. Although the "weight" of any object will be reduced on Mars as compared to Earth, its mass will not be reduced. The momentum generated by performing certain tasks will still be limited to Earth standards even though an object will "weigh" less on Mars it won't have less mass and therefore momentum will not be reduced. Sorry if you didn't understand that, but just google the difference between weight and mass and you will learn.

 

[Clintonio]

[citation][nom]l_mckeon[/nom]"NASA said that it is currently working on a six-legged robot that can walk or roll on wheels."Tachikoma?[/citation]
+1. I love those things.

 

[husker]

From nasa.gov website:

"The first version of the ATHLETE vehicle is under development and has the following characteristics:

Greater than 4 m in diameter with more than 6 m reach
Able to dock or mate with special-purpose devices, including a launchable/releasable grappling hook, refueling stations, excavation implements, and/or special end effectors
6-DOF legs for generalized robotic manipulation
Large payload capacity of 450 kg per vehicle, with much more for multiple ATHLETE vehicles docked together"

I beleive the article here on Toms was talking about the combined carrying cappacity of 10 ATHLETE vehicles which would be 4500 kg or 4.5 metric tonnes which is a unit of mass not weight.
Hook, line, sinker, done.