NASA Develops Miniature PUFFER Robot

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California have been busy developing a little robot, with some help from 3D printing, that could potentially tag along with a larger rover. The lightweight Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot, or PUFFER, can tuck in its own wheels, flatten itself, and crawl up and into tight spaces that rovers can't access. The PUFFER microbot was actually inspired by origami, and has been tested in several rugged terrains over the last year and a half. It's meant to be a type of rover assistant, and investigate places that could be considered "too risky" for full-size rovers, like behind sand dunes or up slopes. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/169236/nasa-puffer-microbot/

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