Japanese toy maker unveils mini moon exploration robot
Baku, March 16, AZERTAC
Japanese toy maker Tomy has unveiled a small transformer-type robot for exploring the surface of the moon, according to NHK World-Japan.
The Sora-Q is only about 8 centimeters in diameter, and weighs roughly 250 grams.
Tomy, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and other partners including Sony Group spent six years developing it.
The casing of the elliptical-shaped robot extends to make wheels to allow it to move over the lunar surface.
The Sora-Q has small cameras facing forward and backward to send images of the moon to Earth.
A Tomy employee said he is delighted that the company's toy-making technology has helped achieve the size-and-weight reduction needed for a space probe.
The developers plan to send the robot to the moon twice in the next 12 months to test its lunar-exploration capabilities.
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