Robots - our helpers in space   SHRIMP is a rover developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). It has been selected as the base for the SOLERO mini-rover. SHRIMP features an innovative chassis; its six wheels enable it to operate in very rough terrain. What is a space robot?     The Nanokhod micro-rover was developed for ESA by the German company von Hoerner & Sulger and the Max Planck Institut; the size of a large book and weighing only 2 kg, the Nanokhod can transport and position 1 kg of instruments Types of robots     The MIRO-2 mini-rover carries a deep driller, which can reach as far as 2 m into the soil to collect rock/soil samples on other planets. The mini-rover was developed for ESA by Space Systems Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Helsinki University of Technology (HUT). Learning from nature     The Aramies/Scorpion robot is being developed for ESA by the University of Bremen The constraints of space     The EUROBOT robot is designed to climb outside the International Space Station to carry out astronauts' tasks. Its first phase of development is currently being carried out for ESA by a consortium led by Alenia Spazio.   The EXOMARS rover will be ESA's field biologist on Mars. Its current development work is being carried out for ESA by two competing teams led by EADS Astrium Ltd. and MD Robotics Release date: 29 November 2004