"They essentially hold on to the side of the asteroid for dear life as it screams through the solar system."
Mitch Hunter-Scullion is describing a six-legged robot called Scar-e, the Space Capable Asteroid Robotic Explorer, which he aims to send to an asteroid to drill for precious metals such as iron, nickel and platinum.
As well as being increasingly essential for phones, laptops and cars, some metal-rich minerals like platinum will also be needed to help produce hydrogen as we transition to greener energy.
With only a finite supply of them on earth - people are increasingly looking to space to meet this increased demand.
That's where Scar-e comes in. Its powerful claw, designed in partnership with Tohoku University in Japan, should grip on to an asteroid in space to stop it from floating away.
