Meet a Robot That Could Crawl
Through Extraterrestrial Caves
Exploring Beneath the Surface
Of other planets may be the key to determining whether life has ever existed outside of Earth.
A Robot Named
ReachBot may become the first explorer to crawl inside Martian caves to search for microbes.
ReachBot Is a Concept
For a machine about the size of a toaster oven with multiple extendable arms.
The Extendable Arms
Could help it crawl through treacherous Martian caves the way Spider-Man swings through a city.
The Bot Would Connect
To a surface rover that could provide power, analyze cave samples and relay photos back to Earth.
The ReachBot Team Has
Received funding to build and test a prototype in caves on Earth similar to what might be encountered on Mars.
If ReachBot Becomes Its Own
Mission, it will likely rely on a larger, more capable robot -- like a rover -- to access the caves it will explore.