Continuity Rover is going on display as part of Micro to Macro: Worlds within Worlds
An Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) PhD researcher hopes his work to design a small four-legged robot could help make future planetary exploration more accessible.
Giorgio Clivio’s Continuity Rover is a lightweight quadruped robot designed as a technology demonstrator for future lunar surface missions, setting it apart from the prevailing use of wheels in planetary robotics.
Continuity’s agility could make it useful for navigating loose surfaces, uneven terrain and tricky obstacles encountered during lunar missions, while its small size could make it easier to include as part of a wider mission, rather than requiring a dedicated launch.
Giorgio’s project is among the cutting-edge work being demonstrated this week [Wednesday 13 – Thursday 14 May] as part of Micro to Macro: Worlds within Worlds - the annual showcase of research and innovation at ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.
The technology demonstrator for lunar missions goes on display at an exciting moment for the industry, as the successful Artemis II mission renews international interest in crewed and robotic missions to the moon.
Speaking about his work, Giorgio said: “I’ve always been passionate about robotics and space, so for me this project brings together many of the things I care about most.
“I studied for my undergraduate degree at Edinburgh Napier, where my final-year project involved building Mimas, a Mars rover scale model.
"That made me start asking a different question: if rovers have traditionally explored planets using wheels, what could become possible with a small rover that walks instead?
“The answer to that question eventually became Continuity.
“Having the opportunity to show our work to the wider community is something my lab colleagues and I are really looking forward to.”
The future of space exploration
Giorgio’s work is inspired in part by the way CubeSats, small sized satellites, have helped make space missions more accessible to universities, research groups and smaller organisations.
Continuity follows a similar philosophy: making space exploration technology smaller, lighter, more affordable and easier to develop.
A key part of Giorgio’s research is also the control system that allows Continuity to move. Rather than relying only on large, opaque AI models, he is developing a lightweight and interpretable learning approach.
He added: “For a space robot, I think it is important not only that the robot learns to move, but that we can understand why it is making certain decisions.
“That is why I’m working on a control approach that is transparent, lightweight and suitable for robots with limited computational resources.”
Micro to Macro
Running this week, Micro to Macro is open to the public at Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston campus.
ENU’s lecturers and researchers will demonstrate their innovative efforts to make our lives easier, more productive and all-round more enjoyable – from minuscule molecules to taming titanic tasks.
Dr John McDougall, Reader in Geotechnical Engineering, said: “This exhibition is a showcase for innovative and imaginative teaching and research that takes place in at the School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.
“This year we have 18 hands-on exhibits, covering subjects such as microplastics, racing cars, humanoid robots, power generation and virtual reality.
“We have been delighted to note a steady rise in footfall at over the five years it has been running and look forward to welcoming more people to Merchiston this time around.”
You can find out more about attending Micro to Macro here.