Here's an earlier article about this: https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/space-robots/jpl-design-for-a-clockwork-rover-to-explore-venus https://spectr

Here's an earlier article about this: https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/space-robots/jpl-design-for-a-clockwork-rover-to-explore-venus https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/space-robots/jp... And here's an earlier article about the approach of using high temperature electronics instead -- although note that, as described in the OP, the two approachese seem to have now merged: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/armed-tough-computer-chips-scientists-are-ready-return-hell-venus https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/armed-tough-computer... So, for anyone wondering how they're planning to transmit a signal without electronics -- well, given that they are using high-temperature electronics to some extent, they might just go that route. But the article I linked above does mention a proposed mechanical means: You don't actively transmit a signal, rather you just change some visible feature of the rover and have a conventional-electronics orbiter scan for and detect these changes (so, signal isn't emitted from the surface of Venus, just reflected from there).