Robonaut 2 (R2), a robot developed by General Motors and NASA, is scheduled to hitch a ride to the Space Station via the shuttle Discovery this September.
The robot not only looks like a human but also is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, R2 is able to use the same tools station crew members use.
For the mission in September, engineers plan to monitor him closely to see how he operates in weightlessness. Plans eventually call for R2 to perform tasks that would normally require astronauts to take spacewalks. The hope is that at some point in the future robots will be able to perform spacewalks and other tasks too difficult or dangerous for humans. For now, R2 is still a prototype and does not have adequate protection needed to exist outside the space station in the extreme temperatures of space.
For more, check out the page on Robonaut at http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/
Wow, what a great robotnaut. The robot is amazing and he moves like a real human. So nice to know that the robot will hitch a ride the space station too. Thanks for the video!
Posted by: Kevin Harris | December 30, 2010 at 04:40 AM
That is awesome! I had no idea robots were becoming so advanced. The manual dexterity is so human-like and will really help on Space missions in the near future it looks like. Ha Ha, he kind of reminds me of the robots in the film West World.
Posted by: Ron Richards | March 05, 2011 at 04:51 PM
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Posted by: fashion guides | September 06, 2011 at 02:40 AM
Over the years, robots have become smarter and more human-like. Time will come, when it would be confusing to tell if a person is a human or a robot. LOL!
Posted by: George Melchero | November 10, 2011 at 12:02 PM