NASA is preparing to launch Robonaut

NASA is preparing to send its first humanoid robot into space. Robonaut first "moved" in September 1999, and after ten years of testing, the 140-pound R2 model will finally be launched to the International Space Station during the last mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery in September.

During the continuous maintenance work required on the ISS, the idea is to give the crew an assistant who does not get tired of performing mechanical tasks - initially inside the ship, and later on beyond.

R2 combines the humanoid head and torso with very dexterous hands and palms. The R2 robot model was developed by NASA along with robotics from General Motors. After being tied to the ISS infrastructure, R2 can work with the same tools that are used at the station by astronauts.

One of the objectives of the mission, according to NASA, is to see how Robonaut copes with space radiation and electromagnetic interference inside the space station.
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The main task, however, will be to verify the safety of the robot for working with humans, because the tools can easily fly away in microgravity conditions, says Chris Melhewish from the Bristol Robotic Laboratory in the UK “Robots must be physically and behaviorally safe,” he says.

“This means not only controlling the torque of the limbs and tools, but also the ability to recognize human gestures in order to successfully achieve the goals set for the robot. These are serious obstacles that NASA needs to overcome. ”