Lunar-MULE

A tandem of smart mobile scissor lifts, self-deployable, lunarproof, to load/unload landers autonomously from 0.5m-10m high and up to 12m.

Overview

Lunar-MULE is an intelligent scissor lift system, self-foldable/deployable and self-driving. Capable of lifting, handling and transferring a variety of landers cargo from 0.5m up to 10m high and weighing up to 12mt. Working in tandem, MULE-α for 2-10m high and MULE-β for 0.5-2m high. A standalone, robust and reliable system for lunar severe conditions, with redundancy and radiation shielding for electrical, electronic, computational and comms modules. Its modularity allows easy maintenance and subsystems integration. It's all electric, powered by self-contained rechargeable batteries (by solar cells/charging station).

Lunar-MULE main features are: light and rigid Al7075 chassis; height-adjustable crawler track propulsion system with zero turning radius capability; self-leveling scissor lift platform with omnidirectional convey system and robotic arms for unmanned payload handling; and navigation/control system with Radar/3D cameras. Intended for autonomous, remote control or manual operation.

Lunar-MULE was a finalist of the NASA's Lunar Delivery Challenge.