And that is the point. Ray said 70 percent to 85 percent of the budget for U.S. polar science programs pays for logistics. The use of a robot that provides its own power could help whittle that cost.

Photo Credit: Jim Lever Yeti’s solar-powered cousin, Cool Robot, tows science equipment during proof-of-concept tests at Summit Station, Greenland, in August 2005.

The robot weighs about 130 pounds (60 kg), runs quietly on solar power with a top speed of about 2 mph (3.219 kph) and navigates with global-positioning satellite, Ray said.