--- title: "Scientists Want to Send a Robot Made of Ice to Another Planet" description: "A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are trying to figure out if we can send robots that are made out of ice to another planet" date: "2021-01-06" modified: "2021-01-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-send-robot-ice-another-planet" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "ice planets" - "robots" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Want to Send a Robot Made of Ice to Another Planet ![A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are trying to figure out if we can send robots that are made out of ice to another planet]() *\Image: Carroll et al.\* ## IceBot A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are trying to figure out if we can send robots that are made out of ice to another planet, [*IEEE Spectrum* reports](). The idea is to create a robot design that can leverage local resources to repair itself in case it ever breaks down. As detailed in a new paper presented at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, the researchers looked a variety of ways of creating robots out of ice by using both additive and subtractive manufacturing processes. https://youtu.be/kjfDRQWv0x0 ## Cold Ones The goal **is** to create a proof of concept ice robot that is capable of "self-reconfiguration, self-replication, and self-repair." The researchers did include regular actuators and batteries in their testing, with only major structural components being made out of ice. An initial test robot, weighing in at a hefty 6.3 kilos and crafted by hand, was able to roll itself up a 2.5 degree incline and steer left and right, as demonstrated in the video above. ## Antarctic Explorer The team isn't just exploring the option for robots sent to outer space, because similar robots could also be used to conduct research in the Antarctic. "Climate change has many folks interested in the Antarctic and ice sheets while NASA and other space exploration groups are looking to the stars for ice and water," UPenn robotics researcher and lead author Devin Carroll told *IEEE Spectrum*. Carroll argued that "if we could build a robot from ice, perhaps it could be used to assist in exploring icy planets for life and data collection." **READ MORE:** [Robots Made of Ice Could Build and Repair Themselves on Other Planets]() \[*IEEE Spectrum*\] **More on robots:** *[UK Military Unveils Tiny Spy Drones That Can Travel Over a Mile]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()