A tiny ant was the inspiration behind an idea that landed a 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Polytechnic University Junior a $20,000 grant from NASA.
The grant from the 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Space Research Program provides Esteban Segarra and faculty advisor Dr. Bradford Towle the resources to explore autonomous capabilities for robots exploring the surface of Mars. Esteban hit upon the idea after watching the orderly trails of ants traveling back and forth with food.
βNature is incredibly efficient, so I wanted to replicate and optimize their methods,β says Esteban, a Computer Engineering major from Austin, Texas.
Equipping robots with ant-like precision starts with an algorithm developed through complex coding. Some of the possible applications include deploying swarms of robots on reconnaissance missions, or building long resupply trails to extend the reach of human and robot explorers. Autonomous capabilities allow the robots to make independent decisions within a framework and communicate with each other over wide distances.
Esteban is already proficient using Python, C++ and C# thanks to his classes at 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Poly. Heβs also building on previous augmented reality research that relies on Microsoftβs Hololens to guide robots.
Esteban didnβt come to 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Poly with a firm idea of what kind of career he wanted to pursue with his degree. But having his ideas validated with a $20,000 grant from the worldβs leading space organization has gone a long way toward solidifying his plans to build robots.
βI feel prepared to pursue this path,β Esteban says.