Lunar Rover Prototype From Nissan And JAXA Resembles A Wheeled Box
by AutoExpert | 3 December, 2021
The "Nissan Futures" event witnessed the unveiling of a lunar rover prototype built in partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The JAXA Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center built the unmanned vehicle, which employs Nissan's e-4ORCE all-wheel control tech, which is also present on the production-spec Ariya's flagship trim.
The lunar rover's electric all-wheel drive technology allows it to travel through powdery, rocky, and uneven terrain on the moon's surface by regulating each wheel individually.
Since January 2020, Nissan has been working with JAXA on the Japanese lunar rover's driving controllability. The collaboration is assisting Nissan in developing the e-4ORCE technology for improved performance on sandy terrain and difficult circumstances that can also happen on Earth.
As aerodynamics aren't relevant on the moon, the lunar rover is essentially a box on wheels in terms of design. Although Nissan and JAXA did not provide performance data, we can see from the images that each wheel has independent suspension and can be guided in many directions, allowing the vehicle to revolve about its main axis. The lunar rover is also equipped with a number of sensors, as well as Nissan and JAXA badges.
