A group of Swedish researchers says that the biggest Red Planet rover planned by NASA could accomplish far more if accompanied by a squad of helper 'bots.' Designed by Fredrik Bruhn, the CEO of Angstrom Aerospace CorporaŽtion, and his colleagues, these small, round robots could assist bigger, less mobile rovers in their hunt for signs of microbial life on Mars. Each ball Can roll up to 100 km, snap photos at any angle and take soil samples, drawing its power from the solar panels on its shell. Unlike wheeled rovers, the rounded scouts have fewer motors to repair, never flip over and are easier to seal from dust. Plus, they rarely get stuck.

The deflated scouts are stored in boxes aboard the MRL. After landing, a latch opens the box, and a spring inside gently rolls them onto the Martian surface. This motion triggers a canister of xenon gas inside the ball to release and inflate the scouts before these hit the ground. The robots can automatically decrease their internal pressure to more easily roll over soft surfaces and patches of sand. The MRL serves as their comŽmunication hub, receiving and transmitting messages from each ball.