Timeline for Development of ANTS Enabling Technology

The technological advances which enable the ANTS concept are occurring on different timescales. ART (Addressable Reconfigurable Technology), based on electromechanical systems, require no new materials, and prototypes are now being built with this technology. MART (MEMS-based ART) requires advances in MEMS-based materials and mechanisms, and SMART (Super Miniaturized ART) requires advances in NEMS-based materials and mechanisms.

ART Level work is currently going on in advanced computing, advanced propulsion systems, and conceptual development of near to mid-term mission concepts.

• We have been involved in the High Performance Computing and Communication effort through our participation in in the ST-8 COTS high performance computing project, and using developments in that area to perform multi-agent system simulations for ANTS on a beowulf cluster.
• We are currently building a prototype for a simple tetrahedral walker for field testing in Iceland, a Mars analogue, as part of the ASTEP program.
• We have also done a detailed study for an ANTS architecture near-term lunar lander rover mission (LARA) based on ART level technologies.

MART Level work is currently going on in the study of MEMS materials and mechanisms as part of the Faculty Award Research Program at Morgan State University and in the conceptual development of mid-term mission concepts for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.

SMART Level work is currently going on in the study of NEMS materials and mechanisms, and conceptual development of far-term mission concepts.

• We are currently performing a laboratory and theoretical study of the relationship between structure and movement triggering mechanisms in simple biological systems.
• We have also done detailed study for an ANTS architecture far-term Mainbelt Asteroid (PAM) and Saturn Ring (SARA) Exploration based on SMART level technologies.