top of page
Search
  • Writer's pictureEmily Volovik

Blog Entry #3

- A team of engineers working on a NASA Insight project have been working on the construction of a robotic arm whose job is to pick up two sensitive science packages from the spacecraft and gently lower them to the ground of Mars. Throughout the article, the author frequently references the claw machines and the similarities between that and their project. The main differences is that there cannot be any mistakes and "the robotic arm has to place everything perfectly." With mistakes in the design process likely to occur, the team proposed three plausible ideas: 1) two stiff "toes" originating from a central base, 2) hang a magnet on an umbilical cord from the robotic arm and put steel plates on the instruments. 3) "a claw-like grapple with five metal fingers about the length of human fingers (about 2.5 inches, or 63 millimeters, long) hanging off the end of an umbilical cord to compensate for any slopes." The third idea was the one that worked best.

- The implications that this invention has on our population and future is that it may bring a new "stream of science data" telling us details of Mars and what it's really like.

- This article relates to my team's JPL project in a way that we've had to alter our design more than once, however it was bits and pieces that were changed. In my opinion, I don't believe that my team is really working as a TEAM. Only certain members do certain tasks (ex: most of the time Lucas,Nick, and Josiah are the ones cutting, drilling, etc., while everyone else is either working on the writing stuff or anything else). Otherwise, I think we're at a good point where we will have enough time to do everything we need to do.

4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Blog Entry #4

In my experience in competing at the JPL Regional Competition, I had an opportunity to view the creativity of students all through the LA County and socialize with some of them as well. I was able to

Blog Entry #2

My individual research project was about the invention of the rubber band. With my research, I learned that the engineers had to take several tries to make sure that the elasticity was just right. Thi

bottom of page