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Gumball-Size Sensor Web Pods

It looks like a child's toy, but this small device may someday play a critical role in solar system exploration. A group of these devices, called pods, can be collected together to form a new type of instrument called a Sensor Web. Each pod contains sensors that collect information from the surrounding environment and communication chips that transmit the data to other pods. Hopping from pod to pod, the data eventually arrives at a primary uplink. From there, the data can be sent to an orbiting satellite for transmission back to Earth. Sensor webs can be distributed in many different ways, including being tossed from spacecraft to monitor that planet's environment. If trace biosignature gases were detected, for instance, that might be evidence of microorganisms living below the surface.

For More Information:

http://sensorwebs.jpl.nasa.gov/

Sensor Web PDF (466 KB)