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RoboBall: Ball-like robot could easily map steep moon craters

RoboBall: Ball-like robot could easily map steep moon craters
Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/25/2025

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The RoboBall project, originally conceptualized by NASA’s Dr. Robert Ambrose in 2003 and now being developed at Texas A&M University by graduate students Rishi Jangale and Derek Pravecek, aims to create a spherical robot capable of navigating terrains inaccessible to traditional rovers. Designed as a “robot in an airbag,” RoboBall’s unique spherical shape allows it to roll over steep, uneven, and abrupt terrain transitions without flipping over, making it ideal for exploring challenging environments such as the steep walls of lunar craters. Two versions are in development: the smaller RoboBall II, a 2-foot prototype for testing power and control, and the larger RoboBall III, a 6-foot model designed to carry scientific payloads like sensors and sampling tools. RoboBall’s versatility is being tested in real-world conditions, including field trials on the beaches of Galveston, Texas, where it demonstrates its ability to transition smoothly between water and land—something traditional wheeled or

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robotroboticslunar-explorationautonomous-robotsrobotic-mappingplanetary-roversrobotic-design