UCLA announces splitter, a tether jump robot for space exploration

Researchers at the Robotics and Mechanisms Institute (Romela) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new robotic system that allows planetary exploration through tether jumps. The robot, named Splitter (Scale and Planetary Ensieged Intelligent Tether Technology Exploration Robot), is designed as a modular multi-robot system consisting of two tethered animal robots connected by tethers. The system, which is scheduled to be announced at the IEEE Aerospace Conference (Aeroconf) 2025, is designed to navigate low-gravity environments such as the moon and asteroids. Reports show that robotic systems can perform consecutive jumps while collecting scientific data, providing alternatives to traditional planetary rovers and drones.

Splitter design and features

According to a study published on the Arxiv preprint server, the splitter consists of two hemis-plitter robots connected by tethers, forming a dumbbell-like structure. Tethers allow for maneuverability and stability during air travel, eliminating the need for additional posture control mechanisms such as gas thrusters and reaction rings. The system is designed to dynamically change inertia by adjusting the position of the arms and feet and the length of the tether to ensure stability during flight. The development of splitters was driven by the limitations of traditional planetary herds. Traditional swarms of planets are often slow and cumbersome, and drones have been unrealistic due to the lack of atmospheric conditions on celestial bodies like the moon and asteroids.

Mechanisms behind the splitter movement

Reports suggest that Splitter incorporates an inertia morphing mechanism based on a Model Prediction Controller (MPC) to regulate the direction of movement in the air. This concept is based on the tennis racket theorem, also known as the dzhanibekov effect, and explains how objects with asymmetrical inertia undergo spontaneous rotational flips. Tanaka Yusuke, the lead author of the study, told Tech Xplore that the technique allowed the robot to actively stabilize its air flight through controlled inertia adjustment. This method has been suggested to significantly improve the efficiency of planetary exploration by ensuring stability without relying on external force mechanisms.

Potential applications and future research

The researchers have shown that splitters can be deployed as a swarm of robots in planetary exploration missions, allowing them to efficiently pass through wide range of unstructured terrain. Tether mechanisms allow one unit to explore craters and caves, while the other unit remains fixed and provides support. Dennis Hong, director of Romela and lead researcher for the project, told Tech Xplore that ongoing research focuses on hardware improvements, including new actuators and sensing mechanisms. Future research is expected to further examine the inertia morphing mechanism through high fidelity simulations, with the long-term goal of enhancing the functionality of splitters in real-world space applications.