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Robot dog trains on White Sands dunes for future Mars exploration

Robot dog trains on White Sands dunes for future Mars exploration
Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/22/2025

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Oregon State University engineers are training a dog-like quadruped robot on the shifting gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park, New Mexico, to simulate the unstable surfaces expected on the Moon and Mars. This work is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars program under the LASSIE Project (Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analog Environments), which involves multiple universities and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The goal is to develop autonomous legged robots capable of navigating and adapting to alien terrains without direct human commands, crucial for overcoming communication delays during extraterrestrial missions. During a five-day trial, the robot’s sensors collected data on surface texture and stability, enabling it to make independent decisions about movement and route selection using refined algorithms. This autonomy allows the robot to operate alongside astronauts, potentially accelerating exploration by scouting terrain, carrying instruments, or identifying scientific sites. The team also tested the robot in other analog environments, such as icy volcanic slopes on Mount Hood, Oregon, to simulate lunar polar conditions. These experiments demonstrate

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robotroboticsautonomous-robotsMars-explorationspace-technologyNASAlegged-robots