Scientists want to send wind-powered robots to Jupiter
An icy moon with hidden oceans would of course require an underwater probe, but what about gas giants with no solid surface to land on or water to swim in? A team of NASA JPL scientists believes the answer lies in robots that can float in the atmosphere for extended periods of time, without depending on wings, motors or hot air balloons. The scientists call them "windbots," machines that can harness the power of the wind on Jupiter and the other gas giants, since it's not ideal to send solar- or nuclear-powered robots to the outer planets.
The researchers want to design robots that can be powered by turbulence, in particular, which they describe as "wind that's frequently changing direction and intensity." Lead researcher Adrian Stoica says that's similar similar to how some wristwatches can be wound by shaking them. Stoica and his team were recently awarded $100,000 by NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, and they plan to use that money to create a model for testing. If they manage to conjure up a model that works, windbots can also be used here on Earth in the future to monitor turbulent weather conditions like hurricanes.
