How NASA's Miniature 'Swimming Robots' Will Probe Distant Worlds For Alien Life

A NASA engineer is currently developing "swimming robots" to aid humanity's hunt for alien life. These smartphone-sized robots could swim in alien waters to observe life underwater, if any.

For instance, scientists suspect that there might be some life in the water beneath an icy shell on Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus.

The tiny robots would also be equipped with ice-melting capabilities to break through the icy crust and reach water. Once underwater, these robots would swim as fish would, giving humans a peek into alien worlds unlike anything ever imagined.

NASA

Meet "SWIM" robots

Created by Ethan Schaler, a robotics mechanical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, the concept for "Sensing With Independent Micro-Swimmers" (SWIM) was recently awarded $600,000 in funding from NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) programme.

NASA

The money will be used over the course of the next two years to build and test 3D-printed prototypes of these small robots. According to early-stage concepts, the robots would be 12 centimetres long and 60-75 cubic centimetres in volume. In addition, they will rock a wedge shape! About four dozen of these swimmers could fit in a cryobot, an ice-penetrating robot.

Also read: One Of Jupiter's 79 Moons Probably Has Alien Life, Claims Physics-Based Simulation

According to a press statement, each robot would have its propulsion system, a computer, an ultrasound communications system, and sensors to measure temperature, salinity, pressure, and acidity.

What is the plan for these robots?

NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission will perform numerous flybys along Jupiter's moon after a 2024 launch. Such robot-based concepts could help scientists get a peek that no other method could offer.

NASA

The swimming robots would be deployed using the cryobot which will communicate with a surface-based lander. In turn, this lander would communicate with mission controllers on Earth. ¡°What if, after all those years it took to get into an ocean, you come through the ice shell in the wrong place? What if there¡¯s signs of life over there but not where you entered the ocean? By bringing these swarms of robots with us, we¡¯d be able to look ¡®over there¡¯ to explore much more of our environment than a single cryobot would allow,¡± Samuel Howell from the SWIM team said in a press release.

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It gets crazier! The cryobot would be supported by a nuclear battery to melt ice and allow swimmers to enter the water. In addition, the bots could mimic fish and birds to "flock" together to reduce the scope of errors in terms of data.

What do you think such experimental tech to aid hunt for life in alien terrains? For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.