1 Multiple limbs
Six identical limbs provide support and manipulation for ATHLETE, giving six degrees of freedom: three motions and three rotations for the wheels and tools at the tips.
2 Central chassis
Constructed as either a single hexagon or two connecting triangles, the central chassis is the base for the six limbs and would carry the cargo or exploration payload.
3 Tools
The flexibility of the limbs means that they can collect a variety of tools and manipulate them like a dedicated robot arm. The tools are powered with the wheel motors.
4 Multiple wheels
Each limb has a wheel and motor at the end. These combine with the limbs to drive the ATHLETE rover in any direction or rotation.
5 Grappling
JPL engineers have even looked at equipping ATHLETE with a grappling system so that it would be able to scale vertical terrain, making it a true go-anywhere robot.
6 Cargo module
Standardised modules would be used for landing supplies or base components on other planets, so the handling robots could always collect whatever payloads arrived.
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