Lunarminer Framework for Nature-Inspired Swarm Robotics in Lunar Water Ice Extraction

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
• Planetary Science and Resource Utilization
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Lunar water ice is a critical resource for supporting human presence on the Moon.
• Current lunar resource extraction methods face challenges in efficiency and scalability.
• Biomimetic approaches offer novel solutions for complex operational tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the Lunarminer framework for enhanced lunar water ice extraction.
• To investigate the application of biomimetic swarm robotics in space mining.
• To assess the efficiency and robustness of the proposed framework.

Main Methods:

• Simulations of water ice extraction in Shackleton Crater using biomimetic swarm robotics.
• Modeling inspired by leafcutter ant division of labor and firefly synchronization.
• Analysis of task allocation, extraction time, energy consumption, and fault tolerance.

Main Results:

• Reduced extraction time by up to 40% and energy consumption by 31% in high ore scenarios.
• Capability to produce 181 L of water per day, supporting up to 18 crew members.
• Demonstrated robust fault tolerance with a 20% robot failure rate.

Conclusions:

• The Lunarminer framework shows significant potential for improving lunar water ice extraction efficiency.
• Biomimetic swarm robotics can effectively address challenges in permanently shadowed regions.
• Further large-scale studies at the Exterres laboratory are recommended to refine strategies.