12.06.2026

The transformable palm-sized rover LEV-2. Credit: D. Hirano

On January 19, 2024, the Japanese Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission landed on the lunar surface. It deployed 2 rovers to collect images of its landing configuration and the surrounding terrain, and relay them back to Earth.

The design of one of the rovers and outcomes of the mission are outlined in a study published in the journal Science Robotics. The findings highlight the potential of small, low-cost robotic platforms working together to explore off world environments.

The Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) system is comprised of the LEV-2 and LEV-1 rovers.

LEV-2 is designed to transform from an 8cm-diameter sphere into a 2-wheeled robot. It carries visual cameras and is equipped with advanced onboard image processing capabilities.

“Upon deployment, the rover autonomously extends its wheels, tail stabiliser and cameras, thereby enhancing its mobility and stability on soft lunar terrain,” the authors write.

After capturing its image, LEV-2 identified those that best documented the state of the SLIM lander and the surrounding environment and transmitted them to LEV-1 via Bluetooth.

LEV-1 then relayed the information back to Earth.

Both robots carried out their missions without relying on commands from humans on Earth.

“Recent years have seen a surge in research focused on exploration and scientific investigation in extreme environments using multiple robots,” the authors write.

“A notable real- world example is the collaborative operation of the Ingenuity helicopter and Perseverance rover on Mars.”

“This study demonstrated that autonomous surface operations can be realised using extremely compact robotic platforms,” the authors conclude.

“Although the capabilities of an individual small rover are inherently limited, the results highlight the potential of such platforms both as independent explorers, capable of accessing environments beyond the reach of a primary large spacecraft, and as components of distributed and cooperative robotic systems that can efficiently expand operational coverage.

“In the long term, this approach may enable more flexible, robust, and cost-effective planetary exploration missions. The lessons learned from this mission provide practical guidance for the design and operation of next-generation distributed space robotic systems.”

Quelle: CONNECTSCI