PASADENA, CALIFORNIA — NASA has designed an origami-inspired robot built to reach terrains and fit into places larger rovers cannot access. <br /> <br />The Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot, or PUFFER, is being developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, NASA reported. <br /> <br />The robot has two wheels that can be folder over the body, which allow the mini-rover to crawl in addition to roll. The PUFFER also has a tail for stability and comes equipped with a high-resolution camera, according to SPACE.com. <br /> <br />It has solar panels on its belly and can flip over when its batteries need to recharge. <br /> <br />The robot can climb up inclines of up to 45 degrees, investigate overhangs and be dropped into pits or craters, according to NASA. <br /> <br />On a flat dirt path, the PUFFER has a range of about 2,050 feet (625 meters) on one battery charge, NASA reported. <br /> <br />The tiny scout robots are meant to accompany larger rovers and can be flattened like cards and stacked one on top of the other. <br /> <br />Developers are now planning to add scientific instruments and giving giving the PUFFER autonomous capabilities. It is currently controlled remotely via Bluetooth. <br /> <br />Future designs may also increase the size of the PUFFER for added durability, according to NASA.
