NASA’s new polar rover has demonstrated that it can operate completely autonomously in one of Earth’s harshest environments.
Designed by students in 2010 and 2011, the robot – dubbed GROVER (Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research) – was recently put through its paces over five weeks in Greenland.
By the end of tests GROVER was working reliably enough for Dr. Hans-Peter Marshall of Boise State University to control the robot via satellite link from Idaho.
Built to carry a ground-penetrating radar to analyze layers of snow and ice, the rover was later transferred to Boise State University for fine-tuning with NASA funding.
