Robonaut 2, a dexterous, humanoid astronaut helper, will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission.
Credit: NASA
His legs might not be ready yet, but his arms sure are.
Credit: NASA
MARYLAND: NASA's Robonaut 2 is primed and ready for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery in February as the first humanoid robot to travel and work in space.
R2 is so ready, in fact, that it will be going up ahead of its legs, which will follow on a later launch.
"The robot's legs aren't ready yet," said Rob Ambrose of NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. "We're still testing them. But there will be plenty for R2 to do while waiting for its lower extremities."
Training to complete mundane tasks
The ultimate goal is for R2 to help the astronauts with extravehicular activity (EVAs). But first, the robot must progress stepwise as new features - like legs - are added and it acquires new abilities.
"For its first training sessions, R2 will be placed on a fixed pedestal for lessons on a task board. The board has switches, knobs, and connectors like the ones astronauts operate, and the crew will mock up chores for R2 to master."
Once the legs are added, the trainee will be able to move around inside the station, wiping handrails, vacuuming air filters, and doing other mundane tasks for the crew.
Giving the crew their Sunday mornings back
"Much like those of us down here on Earth, space station astronauts spend their Saturday mornings cleaning. R2's legs will give the crew their Saturday mornings back! It's all about making efficient use of the astronauts' time. They don't need to waste time doing simple stuff R2 can do."
The legs have special toes that plug into the space station walls so R2 can learn to climb without using its hands. "The hands must be free to carry cleaning supplies and tools," explained Ambrose.
"R2 will practice indoors first because if it falls off inside an astronaut can pick it back up for another try. With a misstep outside, R2 could end up dangling helplessly out in space on a tether."
Duties include setting up a worksite
Once the robot is climbing well, a new computer upgraded with software enhancements will be sent to station. The crew will exchange it with the one now in the R2's chest. The ground team is also working on a battery for R2, as it currently derives its power from a wall socket. "We want to give R2 more and more freedom, so we're eliminating the need for cords and cables."
After all these upgrades, the robot will be able to set up EVA worksites. R2 has ‘eyes’ (two video cameras that give it three-dimensional vision) for viewing an external worksite before the crew heads out to tackle a job.
