Japanese company GITAI has revealed its lunar robot, which can perform general tasks such as exploration, mining, inspection and maintenance on the Moon.
The GITAI R1 lunar rover performed many tasks and operations, successfully completing all scheduled tests.
The ground demonstration of the lunar robot took place at the Sagamihara test site. During testing in a simulated lunar environment, the lunar rover underwent four tests.
Thanks to individually controlled wheels, the robot overcame many obstacles: it climbed a slope and drove over a rocky surface at a steep incline.
The rover also assembled a solar cell mock-up. In addition, the robot's ability to collect various resources was put to the test, and it succeeded in this task as well, collecting soil samples in a container.
The robot was able to complete all the tests because of its design, which includes four wheels that swivel at any angle, enabling the robot to drive on any sloping surface.
In addition, the moonwalker has two arms, which can be controlled by the operator using VR controllers. The robot's head has two cameras and a torch, which also allows it to capture images of planetary surfaces.
In the future, the robot should help humans explore the colonisation of other planets. The developers therefore intend to conduct real tests on the Moon in the coming years.
