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Posted by: Oersted Mar 6 2009, 12:18 AM

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/robots.html

- Especially like the last photo...

Posted by: imipak Mar 6 2009, 07:21 PM

Nice to see ATHLETE and LEMUR too.

Posted by: mhoward Mar 6 2009, 08:09 PM

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking, "I keep forgetting how BIG MSL is."

Posted by: nprev Mar 6 2009, 08:38 PM

...not at all! I mean, WOW!

Posted by: algorimancer Mar 6 2009, 08:46 PM

With wheels that wide it shouldn't have any trouble with dunes; I suppose that's the intent, unless they're planning to race it

Posted by: mhoward Mar 6 2009, 08:57 PM

I'm sure this has been observed before, but something about it just screams "monster truck rally."

Posted by: nprev Mar 6 2009, 10:04 PM

Yeah... . I'm hoping that it lands on a Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!

Posted by: elakdawalla Mar 6 2009, 11:08 PM

That's what a lot of people think, but the silly thing's so much more massive than the MERs that it actually winds up pressing down onto the surface with almost exactly the same amount of force. So it'll have precisely the same trafficability issues over dunes that the MERs do (when all six wheels are on sand -- I guess the longer wheelbase will probably be a help with small ripples) -- but it'll sure have much, much less need to dodge around rocks!

My biggest problem with MSL is that I'm so used to writing about "the rovers." Now I have to start specifying which rover.

Oh, and in reply to nprev, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THE WHOLE SEAT BUT YOU'LL ONLY NEED THE EDGE!!"

--Emily

Posted by: Jeff7 Mar 7 2009, 01:35 AM

One thing the MSL will have going for it if it does get stuck: Its attempts at freeing itself won't be limited by available sunlight.