The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences has proposed a concept for a lunar robot named ERIK, which stands for Experimental Robotic Space Researcher. The project is named in honor of academician Erik Galimov, a researcher of the Moon.
The robot is designed as a wheeled platform equipped with two manipulator arms and an artificial intelligence system. According to director Anatoly Petrukovich, the machine is intended to perform assembly, repair, and sample collection tasks in place of humans on celestial bodies.
Currently, the institute is evaluating the feasibility of various robotic tools for lunar missions. The development of rovers with a single manipulator arm is considered the initial stage of this project, serving as a technical foundation for the future deployment of the anthropomorphic ERIK.
