A team of researchers from Peking University has developed a pair of robotic dogs designed for lunar exploration. Specifically, they have been designed to explore lava tubes or underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity that may exist on the moon.

These tunnels are important because they could protect future astronauts and bases from radiation, micrometeorites, and extreme temperatures. The team has been testing the robots in a lava tube-like cave near Jingbo Lake in Heilongjiang province in northeastern China.