BothNASAand theESAare itch to slip a investigation into Europa ’s orbit , and for good reason : this icy moon , one of Jupiter ’s great , is a tantalizing candidate for finding alien life in our solar system . That ’s because it ’s think to host a vastoceanof liquid water beneath its stock-still scale , which could contain certain ingredients crucial for life . It ’s also warm up up by its orbit in a cognitive operation cognise astidal heating system , which could furnish the energy and chemistry require to kick start life .
singe around this planet and probe it with instruments could provide us with some eagerly - anticipate clarity over speculations such as these , but what if we could poke into even profoundly , literally ? That ’s the dream of a bunch of ambitious engineers atCornell , who have come up with a design for a fish - similar automaton which could glide through Europa ’s oceans .
prompt by the lamprey , a toothy , eel - same coinage , the easy robot would move and behave like a fish , albeit it looks more like a squid . The innovative IE ’s design is complete with electrodynamic “ tentacles , ” which serve well as Department of Energy - harvesting tethers . These structure would engender ability using the strong , fluctuate electromagnetic playing area donated by Jupiter .
Alongside juicing up the rover ’s various instruments , the scavenged push would also power its propulsion system . This would propel the bot through its swimming environment by electrolyzing water system , a process that carve up H2O molecules into atomic number 1 and oxygen . These gases would then be stored separately inside internal chambers , quick to be miscellaneous and then ignited by a spark , creating a mini burst which would drive the probe forward . Alternatively , these reaction could be used to push coordinated tentacle motions , so it would drown a bit more like a actual squid , grant toExtreme Tech .
“ The bio - invigorate technologies we propose to consider bypass the demand to power rovers with modified - lifetime batteries , great solar array or atomic power , ” co - principal investigator Mason Peck toldWashington Post . “ In this one respect , it is a breakthrough concept . ”
Another innovational feature is the bot ’s “ skin , ” which would be compile of a stretchable , electroluminescent textile subject of lighting up the environment as it proceed , which would help its onboard imagination equipment bring forth nice underwater images .
The intriguing construct has deservedly been meet with interest , and it even get ahead the team behind it a nine month grant of $ 100,000 from NASA , one of 15 given out by the caller ’s Innovative Advanced Concepts computer programme . Although much more work is needed to be done , if the labor is successful it could be in product line to invite a further wad of Johnny Cash to the core of $ 500,000 .
