A student named Carter Hurd has come up with an ingenous new design of the wheel which looks as though it will have great applications in the space exploration industry and possibly other robotic applications here on Earth as well. The basic idea of his wheel is that it functions as a normal wheel for when the robot or vehicle is traversing smooth or groomed terrain, but it can “transform” itself by opening almost like how a flower blooms and results in a claw type wheel that is great for travelling in off-road settings. Watch the videos to learn more and keep your eyes out for Carter’s wheels on the next probe they send to Mars!
December 10, 2014
