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<\/a>The project builds on research that has enabled NASA to send rovers and a\u00a0helicopter\u00a0to Mars. Credit- Oregon State University<\/p>\n\u201cSo each step the robot takes provides us information that will help its future performance in places like the Moon or Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Autonomy on alien ground<\/p>\n
Each step the robot took on the powdery surface added to the scientists\u2019 growing dataset. Its feet recorded subtle shifts in texture and resistance, much like a human sensing the ground beneath them.<\/p>\n
For the first time, refined algorithms allowed the machine to walk without direct commands, pausing, choosing routes, and adapting to the surface on its own.<\/p>\n
According to researchers, that independence is crucial. <\/p>\n
On Mars, where communication with Earth lags by minutes, astronauts and robots won\u2019t always have the luxury of waiting for instructions.<\/p>\n
A quadruped capable of autonomous decisions could work alongside a human crew, doubling the pace of discovery by scouting terrain, carrying instruments, or even identifying promising sites for study.<\/p>\n
The team conducted the test amid various challenges. Triple-digit temperatures meant the team had to rise with the sun, wrapping up their work before late morning when the heat threatened not just the researchers but also the robots\u2019 power supply.<\/p>\n
Even in the punishing heat, the team saw a milestone. <\/p>\n
The algorithm upgrades in recent years have enabled the robot to operate autonomously and decide its own actions.<\/p>\n
White Sands isn\u2019t the only place that the researchers have used as a training ground for the dog-like robot. <\/p>\n
They\u2019ve also tested the robot on Mount Hood in Oregon, where icy volcanic slopes mimic the rugged landscapes of the Moon\u2019s poles.<\/p>\n
Each environment teaches the quadruped something new. The gypsum dunes <\/a>replicate crusty Martian sediment, while frozen ridges offer lessons in ice-regolith interactions.<\/p>\n \u201cOur group is very committed to putting quadrupeds<\/a> on the Moon and on Mars,\u201d said\u00a0Cristina. \u201cIt\u2019s the next frontier and takes advantage of the unique capabilities of legged robots.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cThere is certainly a lot more research to do, but these are important steps in realizing the goal of sending quadrupeds to the Moon and Mars,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n