Robot dog training to walk on the moon on Mt. Hood

The robot known as Spirit is testing out its four legs in the rugged terrain, learning how to walk on rocky surfaces and softer ground.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A robotic dog is undergoing rigorous training on Mount Hood for a mission that's out of this world.

The robot known as Spirit is testing out its four legs in the rugged terrain, learning how to walk on rocky surfaces and softer ground.

Scientists hope their research will help prepare other robotic dogs for future missions to the moon and other planets in our solar system.

"With every step that the dog robot takes, it's able to sense mechanical resistance with its leg, kind of similar to the way that when we walk on uneven surfaces as humans,” said Cristina Wilson, a cognitive scientist with the LASSIE Project. “And what's very cool is that scientists are interested in that data because it tells us things about how that, you know, planetary surface formed and how it moves and how it might move in the future."

The research is part of the LASSIE Project, which comprises of a team of experts from NASA and five universities, including USC, Texas A&M and Oregon State University.