NASA has unveiled a concept for a spacecraft called the hedgehog that can perform functions like hopping, tumbling and flipping over while it explores other worlds. The rover is considered to be ideal for exploring planets. Its rugged design will allow it to come out of trouble if it gets into.

Scientists working with NASA are testing the concept as a part of the agency's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program. Issa Nesnas, leader of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory team developing the idea, was of the view, "Hedgehog is a different kind of robot that would hop and tumble on the surface instead of rolling on wheels. It is shaped like a cube and can operate no matter which side it lands on".

Issa said that the rover is very simple in design. It is shaped as a cube having spikes. The spikes act as the rover's feet while it hops and the spikes also perform one more function and that is to protect the spacecraft's body. The spikes can also protect the robot's body.

Without a doubt, this spacecraft will be different from current rovers. The project has been developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California; Stanford University in Stanford, California; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

Study researchers have taken two Hedgehog robots on parabolic, low gravity simulating flights in order to know how they would behave in extremely low gravity environment like in comet and an asteroid. The two cube-shaped robots have performed well.