As we explore new worlds, advanced technologies enable missions to reach challenging terrains like the Martian surface. The tensegrity rover concept is a multifunctional vehicle with a network of tension cables and compression rods. This enables the rover to distribute forces through its network and change shape to adapt to surface conditions. This allows for scientific exploration of areas of the Martian surface that are inaccessible for wheeled rovers.

This vehicle was designed through a collaboration of the NASA Langley and NASA Ames Research Centers and the Crashworthiness for Aerospace Structures and Hybrids Lab (CRASH) Lab at University at Buffalo.