The proposed robot would explore the oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa. It would move like a lamprey—a parasitic fish that swims like an eel. “This robotic concept is inspired by terrestrial biology, and may help us understand how creatures in an environment like Europa’s ocean could gather energy to sustain life,” Peck said. The robot would have electrodynamic tentacles to harvest power by electrolyzing water and storing hydrogen and oxygen gas onboard. Then, the gases could be mixed on demand and ignited by a spark to propel the robot by inflating and deflating its body. The robot would therefore be powered solely by resources found in the extraterrestrial environment, and would not require any traditional nuclear or solar power. As if a self-sustaining, slithering space robot weren’t cool enough, the Cornell team also plans to cover the robot’s body with a stretchy, electroluminescent skin to light up the environment to enable underwater imaging.
