Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. When humans eventually set foot on Mars, they may have a four-legged companion by their side. But the dog accompanying them won't be a canine at all, but a quadruped robot designed to gather samples and keep astronauts on the Red Planet from twisting an ankle. Built with autonomous capability, it will be capable of operating independently of humans. Put another way, the Mars dog will walk off-leash.

"CIMON will be the first AI-based mission and flight assistance system," said Manfred Jaumann, Head of Microgravity Payloads from Airbus. "We are the first company in Europe to carry a free flyer, a kind of flying brain, to the ISS and to develop artificial intelligence for the crew on board the space station," said Jaumann. CIMON has a brain-like AI network made up of plastic and metal and is designed to support astronauts in performing routine work, for example by displaying procedures or offering solutions to problems. With its face, voice and artificial intelligence, becomes a genuine'colleague' on board. Crew members can do more than just work through a schematic view of prescribed checklists and procedures; they can also engage with their assistant.