Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are advancing plans for underwater robots as part of the SWIM (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmer) mission concept. These small robots aim to search for signs of life in the subsurface oceans of icy moons.
The Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched in October 2024 to study Jupiter's moon Europa, will not reach its destination until 2030. However, NASA is already considering future physical exploration of Europa, deploying robots to investigate its underwater oceans for potential life.
The SWIM project involves a carrier robot that will deploy dozens of phone-sized submarines to swim and search for chemical signatures and temperature signals indicative of life.
Ethan Schaler, lead researcher at JPL for SWIM, stated, “We believe that life needs water, and we require robots to explore these environments autonomously, hundreds of millions of miles from home.”
Prototypes have been tested in a swimming pool, utilizing basic components sourced from 3D printing. Each prototype is equipped with two inexpensive motors and standard electronics, powered by propellers and controlled by four flaps for direction. These robots can autonomously maintain their course and execute specific exploration patterns.
The current prototype measures 42 cm in length and weighs 2.3 kg, with plans to miniaturize it for space deployment. A specialized communication system is being developed to enable underwater data transmission and robot triangulation.
Georgia Tech engineers have created a sensor capable of measuring pressure, acidity, alkalinity, conductivity, and the chemical composition of water, with a size of only a few millimeters.
To simulate real-world conditions, the robots were tested in a digital environment replicating the assumed pressure and gravity of Europa. A swarm of 12 cm long robots was designed to search for life, providing valuable insights for developing autonomous exploration algorithms.
Research indicates that deploying about a dozen robots in four to five waves would optimize efficiency, as the current battery life allows for a maximum of two hours of operation.
While the research continues, JPL scientists plan to utilize the SWIM robots in Earth's oceans to enhance marine research, particularly under polar ice.