🦎🔴 Engineers at the University of #Würzburg designed a #Mars #rover with wheels that “swim” through sand using figure-eight motions, inspired by the African sandfish #lizard.

That lizard, a native to the #Sahara, burrows and propels itself through sand like a fish through water. Early prototypes sank, but a lighter, wider-wheeled version successfully navigated sandy test tracks, outperforming traditional wheels on loose terrain.

👉 https://www.popsci.com/technology/mars-rover-swim-through-sand/

#biomimicry #engineering #robotics #space #exploration #germany #science #technology #tech #nature