Raytheon has designed a prototype robot called the Lunar Penguin to hop around the Moon collecting data. The 1 meter tall bot is powered by small rocket thrusters, technology borrowed from a ground-based missile system. From New Scientist (with Reuters photo):
For the Lunar Penguin to be a viable Moon probe, some of the prototype's features would need to be redesigned. For example, the guidance system would need to be reconfigured for navigation on the Moon rather than on Earth. It currently uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, which would not work on the surface of the Moon, as it uses Earth-orbiting satellites…
(Surrey Satellites researcher Max) Meerman says the Lunar Penguin's unique approach to lunar locomotion could prove a useful way of exploring the Moon's hostile landscape. "If it's successful, perhaps we could find astronauts on the next manned Moon mission using the same system to jump over hills," he says.
Link to New Scientist article, Link to Reuters story
