Lunar Probe Hopeful Demonstration at Imiloa Friday

One of the teams vying for Google’s $30 million prize for a successful robot moon landing and excursion will demonstrate its mechanical candidate Friday at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo.

Team Puli from Hungary will be at the center’s front lawn from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mari-Ela David Chock, spokeswoman for the Hilo-based research firm Pacific International Space Center for Explorations Systems, said the public can see Puli’s robot in action and have an opportunity to test drive it.

PISCES is hosting the team’s visit, which marks the first public appearance of the Puli rover, Chock said.

The Google Lunar XPRIZE will be awarded to any private company which can land safely on the moon, travel 500 meters above, below or on the lunar surface and send two video “mooncasts” back to Earth.

Bonus prizes are available for activities such as exploring lunar artifacts or surviving the lunar night.

The contest’s deadline is Dec. 31, 2015.