A representative image of a Mars rover.Peepo / Getty Images
A team of scientists has proposed a wireless charging mat for Mars rovers similar to the ones used for smartphones today.
Imperial College London (ICL) spinoff company Bumblebee Power has developed a proof-of-concept high-frequency Inductive Wireless Power Transfer (IWPT) system to power rovers on future space missions.
The company is partly funded by the UK Space Agency in a project with MDA Space. It claims its new system will enable longer-lasting rover missions while lowering the cost of space-bound power systems.
An alternative method for powering rovers
Rovers are incredibly expensive to build, launch, and operate. NASA’s Perseverance rover, for example, cost over $2 billion. Due to this high cost and the fact that it operates roughly 140 million miles (225 million km) from Earth, Perseverance runs on an incredibly resilient power system called the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG).
This gradually converts heat from radioisotope decay into electricity, powering the rover’s instruments and keeping them warm during freezing Martian nights. However, the MMRTG uses plutonium-238, which is expensive and difficult to make.
“The next wave of robotic explorers heading to the Moon and beyond will rely on smarter, lighter technologies,” James Dunning, CEO of Bumblebee Power, explained in a press statement. “By removing the need for physical power connectors, we can give these missions more freedom to move, operate, and endure — and in doing so, expand our ability to explore and understand space.”
Bumblebee’s IWPT operates at a much higher frequency for transmission than the MMRTG. This allows for electricity to be transmitted over a larger distance, enabling the type of wireless, or inductive, charging seen with smartphones, drones, and electric vehicles. This allows Bumblebee’s systems to power devices even if they aren’t perfectly aligned — a factor crucial for space missions, where no one can manually reposition the charge points.
Powering devices at three times the distance
Bumblebee is a spinoff company that originated at Imperial College London’s Wireless Power Lab. The firm has predominantly advertised its system for everyday electronics and electric vehicles on Earth. However, its impressive capabilities lend it to off-world exploration.
“I didn’t imagine our technology would have applications in space when we started! That’s one of the benefits of sharing your work—you meet people with different perspectives,” said Professor Mitcheson, Professor of Electrical Energy Conversion at Imperial and Senior Scientific Adviser to Bumblebee Power.
According to Bumblebee, its IWPT works at three times the distance of other wireless chargers. It also has three times the tolerance for misalignment and can be easily integrated into a large range of vehicles. Its system can also charge several devices from a single pad.
While Bumblebee claims its system can reduce the cost of future rover missions, it could also unlock a host of new design options. Existing rovers are limited by the requirement to house systems like the MMRTG.
