In context
As deep-space missions expand, traditional wheeled and tracked rovers face limitations on rugged extraterrestrial surfaces. This review, published in the Chinese journal Robot, captures the growing interest in legged robots for their superior terrain adaptability and mobility.
What was reported
The article surveys legged robots designed for complex extraterrestrial environments, highlighting key designs and capabilities. Notable examples include the quadruped Charlie from DFKI, which features 330+ sensors and can transition between quadruped and bipedal locomotion. ETH Zurich's SpaceBok achieves stable walking on slopes up to 25 degrees, while ANYmal-C has demonstrated terrain adaptability in simulated lunar and Martian conditions.
For hexapods, DFKI's SpaceClimber can climb 35-degree slopes and carry 20 kg payloads, and Harbin Institute of Technology's ElSpider weighs 330 kg, carries 155 kg, and climbs 35-degree slopes. The review also covers specialized designs like a mole-inspired robot for digging and a sampling system for icy moons.
Key technical challenges addressed include 'one machine with multiple capabilities', adaptability and reliability in harsh environments, energy management, and perception. The authors analyze mechanisms, whole-body control, and perception methods, discussing trade-offs of different configurations.
Why it mattered
This review provides a structured reference for advancing legged robots in planetary exploration, potentially guiding future missions to extreme terrains like craters and cliffs where wheeled rovers cannot operate.
Legged robots, with outstanding terrain adaptability and mobility, become a research hotspot in the field of planetary exploration.
Source: 《机器人》期刊 (robot.sia.cn) · Published 2025-11-19 · “面向地外复杂地形的足式星球探测机器人综述”