'Wol-E' Exploring the Moon? Germany Develops Adorable Small Rover [Reading Science]

The small lunar exploration rover LRU-1 developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Germany is attracting attention by developing a lightweight exploration rover resembling the animated character robot 'WALL-E' for lunar exploration.

According to Space.com on the 5th, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) recently conducted a driving test of the Lightweight Rover Unit 1 (LRU1) in a basalt area near Mount Etna in Italy.

This rover was developed for lunar exploration and tested its driving capability for one week at the end of June in a basalt area presumed to be similar to the lunar surface. It also tested its ability to find paths, avoid obstacles, and overcome them with minimal human intervention.

LRU1 is equipped with cameras on both sides of its head, resembling human and animal eyes, to recognize the external environment. It is accompanied by its sibling, LRU2. LRU2 is equipped with a robotic arm and hand, capable of gripping baseball-sized rocks. Notably, the robotic hand has tactile sensors that allow scientists on Earth to virtually feel the texture of lunar rocks remotely. Additionally, it has the capability to analyze the chemical composition of collected rock samples using a laser spectrometer.

These sibling rovers will also be accompanied by a drone named 'ARDEA.' This drone flies ahead of the rovers to find paths and gather surrounding terrain information.

Armin Wedler, DLR project manager, explained, "In future space exploration, mobile robots will play important roles as a team," adding, "Each has different abilities and can support and complement each other."

Meanwhile, WALL-E is the protagonist robot of the science fiction animation released by Pixar in 2008. It plays the role of a waste disposal robot left alone after humanity leaves the polluted Earth. It gained popularity for its small and cute appearance.