Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover, most advanced vehicle sent to the Red Planet, is seen on Mars in an undated illustration, in California ReutersThe rover's most important samples will be collected by a coring drill on the end of the armNasa’s Perserverance rover will use x-rays to look for Martian fossils, powered by artificial intelligence, the Independent reported. While nearly every other Mars mission has included an x-ray machine, PIXL differs from those by its ability to scan rock using a focused beam of radiation. As well as its x-ray, PIXL uses a hexapox – a six-legged device – which connects to its robotic arm and uses artificial intelligence to help aim. The rover’s arm targets a rock, and then its legs make tiny movements to it can be better scanned. PIXL measures the x-rays in ten-second bursts from a single point on a rock, before tilting and scanning again.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 27, 2020 13:07 UTC