Project VAMPIRE was a proof-of-concept project which ran from 2023 to 2026, focused on developing small scaled “lunar hoppers” for conducting reconnaissance missions on shadowed regions of the moon in search for ice particles (volatiles).
To this end, the MARVIN hopper was designed to be modular as well as cheap to manufacture and set up using solid rocket engines for propulsion. The key principle was to autonomously plot the fastest route in-and-out of for example a crater and then self propel to reach the destination. If deployed en masse (as a swarm), this rocket powered drone can essentially cover a large area in a short amount of time, making it easier to plan larger operations without requiring complex equipment / logistics or risking high costs if one of the drones gets lost / damaged in the process.
VAMPIRE is the best example of the many ingenious ways our members approach robotics to solve challenges of varying kind. No terrain is too challenging to explore if you can throw enough hoppers at it! Below you can find a recording of MARVIN in action.
