Using Shape Memory Alloys To Navigate Underground Spaces

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) is becoming increasingly common in space exploration applications. It has primarily been used in deployable structures, such as antenna booms or solar sail deployment. However, it also has a use case nearer the ground of whatever planet, moon, or asteroid it finds itself near. A new paper by Shufeng Tang and their colleagues at the Inner Mongolia University of Technology uses SMA to solve a problem in an area near and dear to space explorers’ hearts—small space flexible robotics.