Lava tubes on the surface of planets such as the Moon and Mars are given priority for human scientific expedition bases and ecological maintenance areas. However, obstacles such as collapses inside lava tubes have brought great challenges to the unmanned exploration and construction of lava tubes. Modular self-reconfiguration robots are ideal for surmounting obstacles and manipulating objects in unpredictable unstructured environments due to their versatility and reusability. This paper briefly introduces the hardware development of modular self-reconfiguration robots, focusing on the software and hardware research on modular self-reconfiguration robots in three application scenarios: moving and obstacle surmounting inside lava tubes, sampling and operation, and auxiliary support. Finally, the paper puts forward development suggestions for the challenges faced by self-reconfiguration robots in the construction of extraterrestrial lava tube bases.

In view of the detection requirement in dim and low gravity environments of the south pole of the Moon and the canyons of Mars, it is urgent to explore intelligent and efficient robot control and management methods so that robots can reliably complete complex tasks of planetary exploration, support the construction of lunar and Mars bases, and ensure long-term development. On the basis of elaborating the definition of dim and low gravity environments and analyzing the latest progress of robots, the challenges brought by dim and low gravity environments to planetary exploration robots are discussed, and the development trend of intelligent robot operation in dim and low gravity environments is summarized. Some suggestions on the development of intelligent robot technology are put forward from the perspective of intelligent robot behavior control and intelligent operation management.