AN AI-POWERED robot has found a way to extract oxygen from Martian water.
Details on the bot, developed by scientists in China, were recently shared in the journal Nature Synthesis.
Scientists used the mobile robot, which they equipped with a robotic arm to examine five Martian meteorites.
In the process, it identified materials that could catalyze the breakdown of water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.
Using a combination of acid and alkali, the AI-powered robot chemist dissolved and separated meteorite material.
This led to the discovery of a chemical compound capable of decomposing water from ice deposits found around Mars.
Normally, this process might take a human researcher around 2,000 years to uncover.
However, the AI system amazingly completed the task in less than 5 hours.
Researchers noted that the entire process could be completed entirely by the AI-powered robot, without human input.
“We have developed a robotic AI system that has a chemistry brain,” lead study author Dr. Jun Jiang, from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, told Nature.
“We think our machine can make use of compounds in Martian ores without human guidance.”
Dr. Jiang’s calculations indicate that the AI-powered robotic chemist could generate approximately 60 grams of oxygen per hour per square meter of Martian material.
Furthermore, he claims that the system can function “continuously for years.”
This would reduce the need for astronauts to rely on oxygen supplies transported from Earth.
The development of this AI-powered robot chemist represents a major step forward in our ability to explore Mars sustainably.
By allowing us to produce oxygen directly from Mars’ resources, robots could significantly reduce the cost and complexity of future missions to the Red Planet.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
