LAS VEGAS, 9 Dec. 2011. Engineers at Moon Express, a Google Lunar X PRIZE contender, selected Autodesk design software to develop commercial lander and robotic systems for lunar exploration. Edwin "E.J." Sabathia, a robotic engineer in the Moon Express Robotics Lab for Innovation (MERLIN) unveiled lunar micro-rovers designed with Autodesk software during Autodesk University in Las Vegas. MERLIN is using Autodesk design software to develop robotic technology in support of the company's lunar exploration missions.
The micro-rovers, named Arthur and Robert after famous science-fiction authors Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein, feature two-wheeled, multi-purpose designs capable of exploring the lunar surface, capturing stereo HD images and video, and carrying scientific payloads.
"We are extremely pleased to have Autodesk by our side as we reach for the Moon," says Bob Richards, Moon Express founder and CEO. "Apollo was designed by engineers in their twenties that were backed by the time's world superpowers. Today's technology allows small teams to tackle complex problems and makes every engineer a superpower."
"We are very excited about empowering the creative energy of Moon Express engineers with Autodesk design technology by allowing them to conceptualize and simulate their designs before they are real," explains Jeff Kowalski, Autodesk vice president and CTO.
