Getting to the Moon was the first chapter. Interlune and Astrolab are working on how to operate there.
Updated
March 6, 2026 1:32 AM
Apollo 17 Astronaut's Snapshot of Taurus-Littrow Valley. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
As plans for a long-term human presence on the Moon pick up pace, the focus is shifting from landing there to working there. It is one thing to reach the surface. It is another to build roads, prepare sites and extract materials in a way that can support real activity.
That is where Interlune and Astrolab come in. Interlune is a space resources company. Astrolab builds planetary rovers. The two are now working together to mount Interlune’s lunar digging system onto Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover. They have completed a concept study and are planning hardware testing in Houston.
The aim is straightforward: combine a rover that can move reliably across the Moon with equipment that can dig, collect and handle lunar soil. Interlune is focused on harvesting natural resources from the Moon, starting with helium-3. To do that at scale, the system cannot sit in one place. It has to move across the surface, handle dust and operate in harsh conditions. "Reliable, autonomous mobility is crucial to the Interlune harvesting system and broader lunar infrastructure development", said Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of Interlune. "Astrolab's FLEX is the right vehicle for the job".
By fitting its digging and collection hardware onto FLEX, Interlune is working toward a mobile system that can gather large amounts of lunar soil and support future construction needs. Beyond helium-3, the same setup could help prepare base sites, level ground, build protective barriers and lay the groundwork for other structures. In simple terms, it is about turning a rover into a working machine for the Moon.
The partnership also connects to Interlune’s work with Vermeer Corporation to develop equipment for continuous, high-volume digging adapted to lunar conditions. Taken together, the goal is to build systems that can support both commercial and government missions — whether that means resource extraction or preparing land for future bases.
For Astrolab, the collaboration strengthens the role of FLEX as more than just a transport vehicle.
"Working with Interlune further differentiates FLEX as the rover of choice for commercial and government Moon missions", said Jaret Matthews, Astrolab founder and CEO. "Interlune's expertise in developing and testing highly specialized regolith simulant will further enhance FLEX's ability to mitigate dust and operate in extreme environments".
Testing will be centered in Houston, which is becoming an important hub for commercial space development. Astrolab was the first company to lease space at the Texas A&M University Space Institute, currently under construction at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Interlune operates the Houston-based Interlune Research Lab, where it creates and tests simulated versions of lunar soil.
That detail matters. Moon dust is fine, abrasive and difficult to manage. Before any hardware flies, it needs to prove it can survive and function in those conditions. By testing their systems in realistic soil simulants, the companies can refine how the rover moves and how the digging system performs.
The Houston lab is partially funded by the Texas Space Commission, reflecting the growing role of regional space initiatives in supporting private companies building beyond Earth. Overall, the collaboration is not about grand promises. It is about integrating hardware, running real tests and taking practical steps toward operating on the Moon.
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From pre-orders to market entry, Rokid’s Taiwan campaign reflects how AI hardware is being introduced to consumers today.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:30 PM
Rokid Glasses, a pair of AR glasses from Rokid. PHOTO: ROKID
Rokid has reached a significant crowdfunding milestone in Taiwan. Its Rokid Glasses campaign surpassed NT$62 million in pre-order funding on zeczec, Taiwan’s creative-oriented crowdfunding platform. The campaign ranked No. 1 across all categories on the platform in 2025 and entered the Top 10 funded campaigns in zeczec’s history, setting new records for AI and XR-related projects.
The campaign launched on October 28 and became one of the platform’s most prominent technology initiatives of the year. According to the company, the outcome followed growing visibility for Rokid Glasses after product showcases in New York, Berlin, Singapore and Paris, positioning the Taiwan campaign within a broader international rollout.
The crowdfunding achievement coincided with Rokid’s official market entry in Taiwan. On December 10, the company debuted Rokid Glasses locally, introducing the product to media, partners and early users in the region. The Taiwan launch mirrored earlier international events and connected the online crowdfunding campaign with a physical market presence.
Rokid Glasses combine augmented reality displays with built-in AI functions, including real-time multilingual translation, live transcription, navigation, object recognition and voice assistance. These capabilities were central to how the product was presented during both the crowdfunding campaign and the Taiwan launch, without framing the project as a traditional consumer electronics release.
The Taiwan campaign builds on Rokid’s prior crowdfunding history. The company previously raised more than US$4 million on Kickstarter, where Rokid Glasses became the highest-funded XR wearable project on the platform. The zeczec campaign extends that track record into one of Asia’s most established consumer electronics markets.
“Taiwan has one of the world's most mature and discerning consumer electronics markets”, said Said Justo Chang, Head of Global Channels at Rokid. “Reaching the top of Taiwan's crowdfunding platform is a great commercial achievement. We are excited to finally introduce Rokid Glasses to Taiwan”.
More broadly, the campaign highlights how crowdfunding platforms continue to function as launch and distribution channels for emerging AI and XR hardware. In Rokid’s case, product rollout, market entry and public participation converged within a single campaign, marking a notable moment for AI-enabled wearables in Taiwan’s technology landscape.