Six-wheeled rovers? Bah, no need. Add a balancing software package, and replace that space taken up by four of those wheels with more science candy.

Look out for rocks and soft terrain. Add a robowars righting arm if need be, and a tripod stand for those times when you need to communicate with mother earth.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 28 2004

Great idea, but one rover has already lost a wheel. Dusty over there... Still, how about getting Honda in on the action and building a walker?
-- cloudface, Jul 21 2004


The science is bad, but better the segways be on mars than here on earth, so bun. Sorry for the rant, but segways don't replace automobiles. they replace WALKING and BIKING. As such, they do more harm than good.
-- Madai, Jul 21 2004


Segways require constant power use to maintain balance. Power usage is a constant problem for rovers and probes and the like--if all you've got is the solar panels you can carry on your back, you can't afford to waste any energy balancing all the time.
-- 5th Earth, Jul 21 2004


Mmmm science candy!
-- simonj, Jul 21 2004


Strongly agree with 5th earth... horribly inefficient. Also, the risk, or rather, the consequences of "tripping" and not being able to right itself is prohibitive.
-- musicator, Jul 21 2004


Who said I wanted an auto replacement? I was just looking for a way to cut down on weight for the recent mars explorer missions. But you're right about the energy issues.
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 05 2004


Agree with 5th earth. The segway requires lot of power to simply stay still. If Segway the original concept was listed on halfbakery before it was made, a lot of readers would fishbone it.
-- Porsche911, Aug 06 2004



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