Tag: Ingenuity

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Ingenuity on the Hunt for Records

On 19 April 2021, Ingenuity successfully performed an experiment on Mars (Photo: NASA). The little helicopter flew vertically into the air, took a selfie with its shadow, and landed safely back on the ground. There are many expectations and aspirations associated with the red planet. Its surface is currently being explored in an unprecedented way. In a few years, humans are expected to travel to Mars. According to Digital Trends, Ingenuity arrived as a technology demonstration, “with the team keen to see if such a contraption could become the first to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet” (Digital Trends, 26 September 2023). The platform reported on September 26, 2023: “Just a week after setting a new altitude record on Mars, NASA’s impressive Ingenuity helicopter has just flown faster than ever before, reaching a speed of 17.9 mph (8 meters per second) during its 60th flight. Its previous record was 15 mph (6.5 m/s) in a flight earlier this year.” (Digital Trends, 26 September 2023) It can already be said that the deployment of the small helicopter on Mars is a complete success.

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One Small Flight for Ingenuity

“That’s one small flight for Ingenuity – one giant journey for mankind.” This can be said after the successful experiment on 19 April 2021 with the tiny helicopter on Mars (photo: screenshot from NASA livestream). Ingenuity flew vertically into the air, took a selfie with its shadow, and landed safely back on the ground. The red planet is associated with many expectations and aspirations. At the moment, the surface is being explored in an unprecedented way. In a few years, humans are expected to travel to Mars. In doing so, they will also need advice and support. Because the personnel on Earth are far away, a voice assistant is a possible solution. SPACE THEA is a voicebot that shows empathy (but doesn’t have it, of course). Like GOODBOT and BESTBOT, she recognizes user problems – but unlike those chatbots, she has a voice. SPACE THEA will be developed until August 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel at the School of Business FHNW. The project aims to cover several scenarios on the flight to Mars. However, a voicebot could also be useful on the planet itself, for example to control a tiny helicopter.

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Ingenuity on Mars

The Perseverance rover, which is on its way to Mars, is carrying a drone called Ingenuity (photo/concept: NASA). According to NASA, it is a technology demonstration to test powered flight on another world for the first time. “A series of flight tests will be performed over a 30-Martian-day experimental window that will begin sometime in the spring of 2021. For the very first flight, the helicopter will take off a few feet from the ground, hover in the air for about 20 to 30 seconds, and land. That will be a major milestone: the very first powered flight in the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars! After that, the team will attempt additional experimental flights of incrementally farther distance and greater altitude.” (Website NASA) After the drone has completed its technology demonstration, the rover will continue its scientific mission. Manned and unmanned flights to Mars will bring us several innovations, including novel chatbots and voicebots.