PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust

Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust
2024-10-15
(Press-News.org) Teleoperated robots for gathering moon dust are a step closer, according to new research by scientists at the University of Bristol.

The team were able to complete a sample collection task by controlling a virtual simulation, which then sent commands to a physical robot to mirror the simulation’s actions. They were able to do so while only monitoring the simulation - without needing physical camera streams - meaning this tool could be particularly useful for delayed teleoperation on the Moon.

Alongside a boom in lunar lander missions this decade, several public and private organisations are now researching how best to extract valuable resources, such as oxygen and water, from readily available materials such as lunar regolith (moon dust). Remote handling of regolith will be an essential step in these activities, as it would first need to be collected from the Moon’s surface. Beyond this, moon dust is not easy to work with. It’s sticky and abrasive, and will be handled under reduced gravity.

Lead author Joe Louca from the Bristol’s School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, explained: “One option could be to have astronauts use this simulation to prepare for upcoming lunar exploration missions.

“We can adjust how strong gravity is in this model, and provide haptic feedback, so we could give astronauts a sense of how Moon dust would feel and behave in lunar conditions – which has a sixth of the gravitational pull of the Earth’s.

“This simulation could also help us to operate lunar robots remotely from Earth, avoiding the problem of signal delays.”

Using a virtual model of regolith can also reduce the barriers to entry for people looking to develop lunar robots. Instead of needing to invest in expensive simulants (artificial dust with the same properties as regolith), or have access to facilities, people developing lunar robots could use this simulation to carry out initial tests on their systems.

Now, the team will investigate how people actually respond to this system when controlling a robot with several seconds of delay. Systems with human operators that are technically effective may still have to overcome non-technical barriers, like whether a person trusts that the system will work.

Joe added: “The model predicted the outcome of a regolith simulant scooping task with sufficient accuracy to be considered effective and trustworthy 100% and 92.5% of the time.

“In the next decade we’re going to see several crewed and uncrewed missions to the Moon, such as NASA’s Artemis program and China’s Chang’e program.

“This simulation could be a valuable tool to support preparation or operation for these missions.”

The testing was carried out at the European Space Agency’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications site in Harwell.

 

Paper:

‘Demonstrating Trustworthiness in Open-Loop Model Mediated Teleoperation for Collecting Lunar Regolith Simulant’ by Joe Louca, Aliz Zemeny, Antonia Tzemanaki and Romain Charles presented at the IROS 2024 (IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems)

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust 2 Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

UCL engineers set new record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly

2024-10-15
A new world record in wireless transmission, promising faster and more reliable wireless communications, has been set by researchers from UCL. The team successfully sent data over the air at a speed of 938 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) over a record frequency range of 5-150 Gigahertz (GHz). This speed is up to 9,380 times faster than the best average 5G download speed in the UK, which is currently 100 Megabits per second (Mb/s) or over1. The total bandwidth of 145GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record. Typically, wireless networks transmit information using radio waves over ...

Isolated older people more likely to have low levels of key nutrients in their diet

2024-10-15
Older adults in the UK who are socially isolated are more likely to have an insufficient intake of key micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin B6, increasing their risk of health problems, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in the journal Age and Ageing, looked at data from 3,713 people in the UK aged 50 and over who filled in a detailed questionnaire about what they ate and drank on two separate days.   The researchers found that people who were more socially isolated were more likely to have a lower than recommended intake of five micronutrients ...

Brazilian researchers work to transform agave into the ‘sugarcane of the sertão’

Brazilian researchers work to transform agave into the ‘sugarcane of the sertão’
2024-10-15
Climate change has caused an increase in the semi-arid climate region in Brazil. Data from the National Center for Monitoring and Warning of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN) and the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) in the South American country indicate an expansion of 7,500 square kilometers per year since 1990, which is equivalent to five times the area of the city of São Paulo. A similar phenomenon has been observed in some regions of Europe and North Africa. With this in mind, and with the desire to find solutions to mitigate climate change, a group ...

Seizures caused by children swallowing medications or illegal substances doubled over 15-year period

2024-10-15
Copenhagen, Denmark: New data shows that the number of children suffering a seizure after swallowing medications or illegal substances has doubled between 2009 and 2023 in the US. The findings were presented today (Wednesday) at the European Emergency Medicine Congress.   The most common substances involved in these poisonings include over-the-counter antihistamines, prescription antidepressants and painkillers, and illegal synthetic cannabinoids.   Dr Conner McDonald from the University of Virginia School of Medicine told the Congress: “Seizure is one of the most severe symptoms a poisoned ...

Increase in air pollution corresponds with more patients at the hospital emergency department

2024-10-15
Copenhagen, Denmark: Increases in levels of particulate matter in the air, even within World Health Organization guidelines, correspond with an increase in the number of patients going to the hospital emergency department, according to research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress today (Wednesday).   The study found links particularly between air pollution and cases of trauma, breathing difficulties and skin conditions.   The research was presented by Dr Andrea Rossetto an emergency medicine resident at University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, and a PhD Student at Queen Mary University of London, UK.   Dr ...

NASA, NOAA: Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle

NASA, NOAA: Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle
2024-10-15
In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year. The solar cycle is a natural cycle the Sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of the solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip — on Earth, that’d be like the ...

Scientists at ChristianaCare gene editing institute use CRISPR tools to safely disable gene mutation linked to treatment-resistant melanoma

2024-10-15
Scientists at ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute Use CRISPR Tools to Safely Disable Gene Mutation Linked to Treatment-Resistant Melanoma   Study finds CRISPR restores the ability for cancer treatments to attack melanoma cancer cells with precision-guided gene edit that ignores healthy cells   Wilmington, DE, OCTOBER 15, 2024  -- In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing ...

Study busts myths about cause of gout

2024-10-15
A major international study has found gout is a chronic illness where genetics is a major cause, rather than lifestyle choices of the sufferer.   Led by University of Otago researchers, the genome-wide association study, published in Nature Genetics, analysed the genetic information of 2.6 million people.   Researchers analysed amalgamated DNA data sets from around the world. About three quarters of the data was from customers of 23andMe, Inc, a direct-to-consumer genetics and preventative health company, who consented to participate in research.   They found inherited genetics is an important part ...

Machine learning analysis sheds light on who benefits from protected bike lanes

2024-10-15
A new analysis from University of Toronto Engineering researchers leverages machine learning to help answer a thorny question: where should new protected bike lanes be placed to provide maximum benefit?  “Right now, some people have really good access to protected biking infrastructure: they can bike to work, to the grocery store or to entertainment venues,” says Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and lead author of a new paper published in the Journal of Transport Geography.  “More ...

New research reveals how large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can improve air quality and human health

2024-10-15
A new study from the University of Toronto's Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits.  The research team used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious rollout of renewable electricity generation, could result in health benefits worth between US$84 billion and 188 billion by 2050.  Even scenarios with less aggressive grid decarbonization mostly predicted health benefits running into the tens of billions of dollars.  “When ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

[Press-News.org] Out-of-this-world simulation key to collecting moon dust