A Robot to Mine the Moon - IEEE Spectrum

IEEE SpectrumFOR THE TECHNOLOGY INSIDER
TopicsAerospaceArtificial IntelligenceBiomedicalComputingConsumer ElectronicsEnergyHistory of TechnologyRoboticsSemiconductorsSensorsTelecommunicationsTransportation
SectionsFeaturesNewsOpinionCareersDIYThe Big PictureEngineering Resources
MoreSpecial ReportsCollectionsExplainersPodcastsVideosNewslettersTop Programming LanguagesRobots Guide
For IEEE MembersCurrent IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteTI Archive
For IEEE MembersCurrent IssueMagazine ArchiveThe InstituteTI Archive
IEEE SpectrumAbout UsContact UsReprints & PermissionsAdvertising
Follow IEEE Spectrum
Support IEEE SpectrumIEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE — the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences. Our articles, podcasts, and infographics inform our readers about developments in technology, engineering, and science.
Join IEEE
Subscribe
About IEEEContact & SupportAccessibilityNondiscrimination PolicyTermsIEEE Privacy Policy
© Copyright 2023 IEEE — All rights reserved. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

IEEE Spectrum visits a warehouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Honeybee Robotics, a space technology company, is developing a next-generation rover to excavate and mine the lunar surface. The robot may be used in future NASA missions to retrieve soil samples. It may also help humans to colonize the moon one day.

Conventional digging machinery might be to clunky to operate on the moon. So Honeybee came up with a completely new approach to mining. Its robot uses gas to push lunar dirt into the rover’s storage compartment. The material could be used for construction of roads, or mined for oxygen. But first, Honeybee needs to test its prototype, using a massive vacuum chamber at the Brooklyn warehouse.

Trending Stories

The most-read stories on IEEE Spectrum right now

360 Video: Zoom Over Zanzibar With Tanzania’s Drone Startups

Come along for the ride as drones soar over the farms and schools of Tanzania

6:56

Photo: IEEE Spectrum

drones gadgets type:video East Africa drones mapping Tanzania Africa delivery drones 360 video

With 360-degree video, IEEE Spectrum puts you aboard drones that are flying high above the Tanzanian landscape: You’ll ride along as drones soar above farms, towns, and the blue expanse of Lake Victoria. You’ll also meet the local entrepreneurs who are creating a new industry, finding applications for their drones in land surveying and delivery. And you’ll get a close-up view from a bamboo grove as a drone pilot named Bornlove builds a flying machine from bamboo and other materials.

You can follow the action in a 360-degree video in three ways: 1) Watch on your computer, using your mouse to click and drag on the video; 2) watch on your phone, moving the phone around to change your view; or 3) watch on a VR headset for the full immersive experience.

Keep Reading ↓Show less

360 Video: Go on a Mission With Zipline’s Delivery Drones

Immerse yourself in the action as Zipline catapults its drones into the Rwandan sky

IEEE Spectrum

drones type:video East Africa drones Rwanda delivery drones Zipline 360 video

With 360 video, IEEE Spectrum takes you behind the scenes with one of the world’s first drone-delivery companies. Zipline, based in California, is using drones to deliver blood to hospitals throughout Rwanda. At an operations center in Muhanga, you’ll watch as Zipline technicians assemble the modular drones, fill their cargo holds, and launch them via catapult. You’ll see a package float down from the sky above a rural hospital, and you’ll get a closeup look at Zipline’s ingenious method for capturing returning drones.

You can follow the action in a 360-degree video in three ways: 1) Watch on your computer, using your mouse to click and drag on the video; 2) watch on your phone, moving the phone around to change your view; or 3) watch on a VR headset for the full immersive experience.

Keep Reading ↓Show less

A Techie’s Tour of New York City

Here are some NYC attractions that you won’t find in the guidebooks

A Techie's Tour Of NYC

www.youtube.com

type:video New York City DIY tourism videos rockets Nikola Tesla history technology events hackerspace new york city nikola tesla nyc tourist video nyc tourist guide tech tour nyc video nyc tech tour

Do your travel plans include New York City? Are you a techie? If the answer to those questions is yes, let IEEE Spectrum be your guide! We've put together a list of some of our favorite places to visit, including important locations in the history of electrotechnology (New York was once the center of the electrical and electronic world) and places where fun and interesting things are happening today. See where Nikola Tesla lived, check out cutting-edge artists working with technology, or take the kids to see an Atlas and Titan rocket.

All the locations are accessible via the subway, and many are free to visit. If you do visit, take a selfie and post a link in the comments below.

Keep Reading ↓Show less