Autonomous Additive Construction on Mars

Abstract

We present a conceptual construction process for an inhabitable outpost on Mars, using an autonomous multi-robot swarm approach to additively sinter layers of regolith into a protective shield over an inflatable pressurised module. The guiding design hypothesis investigated is that physically distributing risk across multiple simpler units working in parallel can improve chances of success, rather than the traditional consolidation into a single complex unit. This approach is fundamentally enabled by the decreasing size and cost of hardware. Larger numbers of more intelligent robots offers the possibility of emergent behaviour as the collective action of a complex group can be greater than that of individual independent units. In the paper, we consider the general benefits of distributed redundancy, its implications for a robotic construction process using microwave power to selectively sinter layers of regolith in situ, a subsequent habitat design with regolith shield, and a roadmap for a future technology demonstration.