The Adaptable Wheel!

The Adaptable Wheel is made of an Mn-Cu Alloy that transforms specifically to Mars' surface temperature. Mn-Cu alloy is lighter compared to other shape-memory alloys and has a higher fatigue limit, making it the perfect material for this wheel. This wheel also has adaptable tire treads. For any future missions that require a Mars Rover to drive the polar ice caps, the bumpy treads compress itself to work better on the ice. This only happens when the wheel’s sensors detect the polar ice caps’ surface temperature. This wheel also contains ultraviolet sensors on the side of the tire treads to detect sharp rocks that could potentially damage other wheels. If the wheel detects a rock, it will alert the rover's brain to avoid the rock. Outside of adaptability, the Adaptable Wheel has more mass closer to the center to allow the rover to accelerate and stop faster.

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