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From Sojourner to the much larger Curiosity, robotic rovers tend to come in all shapes and sizes. But few will become as adorable as the European Space Agency’s new ExoMy rover. Better yet, you can accomplish this with the help of a 3D printer.
ExoMy is a 42 cm (approximately 16 inches) replica of ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, which after losing its 2020 launch window, is now slated to reach the red planet in 2022. Comes with the “triple trolley” “Big Sister’s” Suspension system and you can customize the face part, which contains the rover’s camera, with different hats, if the default option isn’t pretty enough.
You can download everything you need to make it work, including assembly instructions and software, via GitHub. ESA estimates that it will cost most people around € 500 (nearly $ 600) to purchase all the materials and components needed to make ExoMy. It will also take about two weeks to 3D print everything. “We have focused on making the design as affordable and accessible as possible. It uses a Raspberry Pi computer and standard electronic parts available online and in any hobby shop, ”the agency explains.
If $ 600 is out of your budget, you can see ExoMy in action thanks to a video shared by ESA. The agency hopes college students will use design as a way to learn about robotics and the ExoMars mission.
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