Robotic Dog Takes Stride on Lunar Terrain: NASA and Five Universities Collaborate to Build the Ultimate Space Mission Companion

NASA and five universities are collaborating on a research project to teach a robotic dog to survive in challenging and ever-changing terrains for future space missions. The robot dog, named Spirit, has been trained to walk on lunar terrain in the rugged environment of Mount Hood, Oregon, USA as part of the LASSIE project.

The researchers are focused on preparing the Spirit robot dog to navigate difficult and ever-changing terrains such as hard rocky ground, soft ground, snow or sand. The robot dog is equipped with mechanical legs that allow it to sense changes in the terrain with each step it takes.

The project has received a grant of two million dollars from NASA. The ultimate goal is to assist NASA in building robotic rovers for missions to the Moon where humans and robots are expected to work together in the future.