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Space-rugged robot put to volcano test

Scarab, a robot developed by Carnegie Mellon University with support from NASA, is about to be tested at Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano to prove its fitness for the extreme conditions of space.

The robot was developed by the Lunar Rover Initiative, a group of scientists from the Field Robotics Center at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. The test mission, intended to mimic a lunar rover mission, will have Scarab climb, drill, extract, and analyze samples, CMU announced Tuesday.

The dormant volcano and Hawaii's highest mountain, Mauna Kea is best known for its elite observatory of astronomical telescopes. But on this mission, scientists will be looking within instead of out at the universe.

The 400-kilogram (880-pound) robot has a suspension system that allows it to climb or drive on steep inclines of sand and rock. Scarab's November 1-13 mission will take place about two-thirds of the way up to Mauna Kea's peak at an elevation of 9,000 feet. The robot will take samples from the dormant volcano.

One of Scarab's innovative tools specifically being tested during the November mission is a drill from Norcat (Northern Centre for Advanced Technology) and a chemical analysis device from NASA.… Read more

Review: 2009 Range Rover Sport HSE

Terrain crawling tech lets the 2009 Range Rover Sport HSE maintain its rugged reputation, but an upscale price means luxury elements, such as real wood trim and a refrigerator in the console. Offroad enthusiasts may think the lack of a fold-down windshield keeps the Range Rover Sport in the soft-road class, but this tank enhances its locking differentials with an air suspension that moves it into high-clearance mode. Terrain programs fine-tune the Range Rover's handling for the slippery and jagged.

The basics of cabin tech are here, including navigation and cell phone integration, but integration is poor. The navigation … Read more

Ford in talks with Tata over Jaguar, Land Rover sale

Ford confirmed Thursday that the company is considering an offer to sell its Jaguar and Land Rover subsidiaries to Tata Motors of India.

"Ford is committed to focused negotiations at a more detailed level with Tata Motors concerning the potential sale of the combined Jaguar-Land Rover business," Lewis Booth, an executive vice president at Ford, said in a statement.

"There is still a considerable amount of work to do, and while no final decision has been made, we will proceed with further substantive discussions with Tata Motors over the forthcoming weeks with a view to … Read more

'Land Rover on steroids' ready to rip

There's a silver lining in the war on terror. The need for beefy, bulletproof buggies to patrol the Afghan and Iraqi outback has translated into factory jobs on the home front for at least one NATO ally.

Described as "a Land Rover on steroids," the new MWMIK (Mobility Weapon Mounted Installation Kit) 4x4 looks more like an armored forklift chassis. But with a top speed of 80 mph and wide range of armaments, it won't be pulling pallet duty anytime soon.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence has ordered 130 of the new vehicles from Plymouth-based … Read more

A clean, well-lighted car

All you Hemingway wannabes out there no longer have to freeze in the winter in your old drafty Defender. New, improved versions, resembling Papa's old British jeep, are finally on the way.

Rumors of a Land Rover Defender returning to the North American market are true. The car will be back in 2007 as a 2008 model. Soft-top, long-wheelbase and short-wheelbase versions are also "in the works," according to Atlantic British, which would probably know as the leading U.S. supplier of after-market parts for Land Rovers in the United States.

Land Rover wants to recreate the … Read more

Eyeball-shaped Webcam swivels by magnet

There's a new Webcam on the market that has a potential for dual use: If it breaks down, you can always use it to decorate the Christmas tree or to play fetch with the dog.

That's because Savit Micro's "VIJEeye" isn't attached by any joints or other fixtures--instead, it has a magnetized base that allows 360-degree movement. The higher of two models comes with 1.3-megapixel resolution and a built-in microphone. Pricing isn't yet known, but Akihabara News says both models are destined for stores next week.

And its "red wine" … Read more

Mars rover loses use of wheel

One of the wheels on the Mars rover Spirit has stopped working, according to NASA's Web site. The right-front wheel had been in trouble before, in June of 2004, when it began drawing abnormally high current. That problem was fixed by temporarily running the rover backward, but now the wheel has stopped working entirely, according to the space agency. The rover is able to use its five other wheels and drag the broken one along, but with the Martian winter approaching, NASA workers are in a race against time to get Spirit to a location where it will be … Read more