New AZPM Show Highlights Thanga's Work to Develop Robotic 'Swarm'

AME associate professor Jekan Thanga, who is leading the Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration (SpaceTREx) Laboratory, is working to develop a "swarm" of autonomous robots capable of exploring and even developing on celestial bodies like the moon and Mars. 

For the debut episode of New Frontiers, an AZPM show about discovery and innovation on the University of Arizona campus, Thanga explains his partnership with professor of Mining and Geological Engineering Moe Momayez, and their goal for advancing research as well as industry. 

"That's been our work at SpaceTREx, advancing new space technologies to really enable new ways of exploring, low-cost ways of exploring, exploring extreme environments and getting serious particularly with the mining aspect and working with the mining engineering department on this," Thanga said.

According to AZPM, the project is also working to develop specialized drilling tools to mount on these space robots, which could one day make prolonged space exploration more practical.