By repeatedly taking small scoops, the rover experiences less push-back from the Moon.
The design review for Astrobitc’s Excavator rover was conducted with Robert Mueller from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rover will prospect and recover resources from the Moon. The review analyzed the bucket-wheel prototype (left) designed to reduce the reactionary forces of digging felt by the rover.
The bucket-wheel’s actuator (below) is raised and lowered through the legs of the rover, which are made to carry 115kg of regolith, or lunar soil. Harmonic drives are used for higher gear ratios, higher torque, and higher resolution. A force/toque sensor is used to monitor the loads on the bucket-wheel to ensure that it does not break on a rock or large chunk of ice.
The force/torque sensor monitors inputs from the bucket-wheel’s operation.
