CORVALLIS, Ore. (KVAL) — Oregon State University (OSU) researchers are advancing efforts to equip dog-like robots for scientific exploration on Mars, following a series of experiments conducted this month at White Sands National Park, OSU shared in a news release on Thursday.
The park serves as a Mars analog environment, where scientists are testing scenarios to inform future Mars operations involving astronauts, quadruped robots, rovers, and Mission Control on Earth.
Cristina Wilson, a robotics researcher at OSU, emphasized the commitment to deploying quadrupeds on the Moon and Mars.
“It’s the next frontier and takes advantage of the unique capabilities of legged robots,” she said.
The NASA-funded project, part of the Moon to Mars program, aims to develop tools for long-term lunar exploration and future crewed missions to Mars. The Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analog Environments (LASSIE) Project includes experts from several universities and NASA Johnson Space Center.
This month’s field work at White Sands marked the team’s second visit to the park, following an initial trip in 2023. The team also conducted experiments on Mount Hood in Oregon, simulating lunar landscapes. During these sessions, scientists collected data from the quadruped robots’ feet to measure mechanical responses to foot-surface interactions.
In the same way that the human foot standing on ground can sense the stability of the surface as things shift, legged robots are capable of potentially feeling the exact same thing,” Wilson said. “So each step the robot takes provides us information that will help its future performance in places like the Moon or Mars.”
Despite challenging conditions, including triple-digit temperatures, the team made significant progress. For the first time, the robot acted autonomously, making its own decisions, which is crucial for independent operation alongside astronauts on Mars.
The team also tested advancements in the robot’s movement based on surface conditions, potentially increasing energy efficiency. “There 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,” Wilson said.
The research is funded by NASA’s Planetary Science and Technology through Analog Research (PSTAR) program and Mars Exploration Program.
Other leaders of the project include Feifei Qian, USC; Ryan Ewing and Kenton Fisher, NASA Johnson Space Center; Marion Nachon, Texas A&M; Frances Rivera-Hernández, Georgia Tech; Douglas Jerolmack and Daniel Koditschek, University of Pennsylvania; and Thomas Shipley, Temple University.