Thomas Industrial Marketing & Manufacturing Blog

NASA's New Robot Will Tackle Spots Rovers Can't Reach

Written by Christina O'Handley | April 5, 2017

The latest big invention from NASA might be smaller than you would imagine. Their Pop-Up Flat Folding Robot, or PUFFER, is designed to fold and contort in order to reach places that traditional roving robots cannot.  

Designed in NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the PUFFER is inspired by origami (the art of paper folding). The PUFFER's wheels can flatten down to almost be parallel to the ground, giving it the overhead clearance it needs to explore smaller crevices of moons and planets. In addition, the PUFFER has solar panels to charge and tread on its wheels to allow it to make steep climbs.

Watch the video above, courtesy of NASA, to see the PUFFER in action.