Strange Mi Images |
Strange Mi Images |
Nov 26 2005, 09:39 AM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 578 Joined: 5-November 04 From: Denmark Member No.: 107 |
All the latest MI images from Opportunity shows this part of the rover:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...KCP2957M1M1.JPG The only thing I can think of is that it is an image taken with the IDD stowed. Actually the front hazcam pictures confirms this. What can the reason for this be? A problem with the IDD so it didn't unstow, but somehow the MI carried out its tasks? -------------------- "I want to make as many people as possible feel like they are part of this adventure. We are going to give everybody a sense of what exploring the surface of another world is really like"
- Steven Squyres |
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Dec 2 2005, 04:45 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2998 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
I'm not engineer, but I currently fly remote control aircraft with geared electric motors and in earlier incarnations worked with telescope gear drives. The IDD actuators are likely geared stepping motors and over time the gear train lubricants age and move away from critical points and, well, quit lubricating.
There are four actuators in the arm: a "shoulder joint" which provides left-right motion and near by is another joint which allows the arm to move forward-backward. The arm has two sections and the middle joint is like an elbow and that actuator provides more range of motion. The fourth actuator is like a wrist at the tool carrier and aligns the tool with the surface being thwacked. Of course, a fifth motor rotates the tool holder to select the proper tool. Of the actuators, I'd figure that the first left-right shoulder joint is least critical and it could be left in one position and hthe arm might be stowed in a non-standard position without it. I'm sure that there'll be a workaround... --Bill -------------------- |
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