Mark Curry of Intrepid Systems from Lynnwood, Wash. monitors his robot in the practice field during the NASA 2013 Sample Return Robot Challenge, Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass. Intrepid is one of eleven teams competing for $1.5 million. Teams will be required to demonstrate a robot that can locate and collect geologic samples from a wide and varied terrain, operating without human control. The objective of this NASA-WPI Centennial Challenge is to encourage innovations in autonomous navigation and robotics technologies. Innovations stemming from the challenge could improve NASA’s capability to explore a variety of destinations in space, as well as enhance the nation’s robotic technology for use in industries and applications on Earth.
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
