A lunar rover prototype designed by Nissan Motor Co. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) incorporates motor and all-wheel control technologies featured in the automobile maker’s electric vehicles.

All four wheels are controlled independently by use of Nissan’s e-4ORCE technology, improving the ability to navigate rough lunar terrain. The advanced system is built around dual electric motors and provides balanced chassis control, line tracing and steering precision, helping keep the vehicle’s behavior predictable, even during sudden maneuvers. The system constantly modulates the output of each onboard twin electric motor as well as each wheel brake control to create dependable control for the driver.

Source: Nissan Motor Co.

Ikkoh Funaki, JAXA Director of the Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center, said, “JAXA aims to apply the research results to future space exploration. We are collaborating with companies, universities and research institutes on projects that are feasible and have potential for commercialization and innovation. By conducting research with Nissan, which has expertise in electrified technologies, we hope to apply our findings to the development of higher-performance lunar rovers.”