Spirit, the dog robot, achieved a significant milestone in robotic technology by walking from rocks to snow on Mount Hood. Spirit is part of the Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analogue Environments (LASSIE) project, a collaboration between NASA and the University of Southern California's robotics team.
The team monitored Spirit's progress to compare data from its robotic legs to more conventional science data like rock composition sampling, lidar, and thermal imaging. The information received from the robot would assist scientists in assessing whether or not to build a structure in a certain spot on the moon.
The test on Mount Hood is the second and final exploration of the volcano using the team's USD 3 million grant from NASA. The team has planned more tests to help understand how legged robots manage other obstacles, including reduced gravity and the dark side of the moon. The next training for Spirit will be at White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
By using this site, you agree to allow SPEEDA Edge and our partners to use cookies for analytics and personalization. Visit our privacy policy for more information about our data collection practices.