Moonbase Hermit Crab

(YouTube link)Striding through the moon dust with the moonbase strapped to its back, this unlikely idea reminds me of the mobile cathedrals in Absolution Gap, others suggest Howl's Moving Castle.

"In a 2005 report about its exploration plans, NASA said it wanted to set up a base at a fixed location on the Moon after initially returning humans there in 2020.

But a gargantuan robotic vehicle called ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) could change that. Measuring about 7.5 metres wide, with legs more than 6 metres long, the robot could act essentially like a turtle, carrying the astronauts' living quarters around on its back.

...

ATHLETE would normally drive around the lunar surface, since that is much more energy-efficient than walking. But whenever the robot encountered very bumpy ground, or its wheels got mired in deep soil, it could switch to walking.

"If we get into ankle-deep dust, we'll lock the wheels, use them as feet, and just tiptoe out, effectively," Wilcox told New Scientist. "

Walking? Yes indeed - check out this video at YouTube.

Link - via The Daily Grail