Revy
24th April 2010, 00:28
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2010/04/bots-660x439.jpg
A humanoid robot will visit space for the first time in September aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, NASA announced Wednesday.
The Robonaut 2, which was co-developed by NASA with General Motors, will serve as an assistant to the humans on board the International Space Station, using the same tools developed for astronauts.
While plain old robots, such as the Mars Phoenix Lander, are a major part of NASAs operations, humanoid robots are a different story. There is significant science-fiction appeal to the idea of humanoid robotic helpers for humans, but does the idea makes more than literary sense? Yes, said Jeffrey Hoffman, an MIT aerospace professor and former astronaut.
Im a very strong believer in human-robotic interaction. You can build up a synergy to accomplish what neither humans nor robots could accomplish on their own, Hoffman said. Thats the inspiration behind Robonaut.
Many successful robots, like Kivas product-distribution robots (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/retailrobots/) or the militarys little helpers (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/tag/drones/) look nothing like humans. And some space researchers like MIT historian and policy analyst David Mindell (http://web.mit.edu/mindell/www/) dont think humanoid robots are a very good idea. But the International Space Station may be the perfect place for a humanoid robot.
Its incredibly important that Robonaut have a humanoid form factor because hes being sent into space, and its incredibly expensive, and he has to do a lot to pay himself off, said former roboticist Daniel Wilson (author of How to Build a Robot Army). It has to be able to pick up any tool that an astronaut could use and go outside.
Wilson argued that space was a uniquely good environment to showcase both the versatility of people and a general-purpose humanoid robot.
You cant bring a tool to solve every single problem. Theres no way. Astronauts cant haul all that shit up there. Its like, I have a screwdriver and my brain, and I need to solve the problem, and I dont know what the problem is before I leave the planet, Wilson said. You can use the humanoid to leverage all those tools.
James Hughes, who studies emerging technologies at Trinity University, suggested that humanoid robots may provide a nice middle ground between hardcore human spaceflight evangelists and those who would rather see robotic missions. Most space watchers feel that the human programs are what drives interest and funding in exploration, while scientific investigation will be driven by robots.
A humanoid robot splits the difference. You get some of the advantages of both and hopefully it will be a nice compromise between the two, said Hughes. But it may not satisfy either side.
The Robonaut project began in 1996 and the first version of the bot came out in 2000. In 2006, NASAs Dexterous Robotics Laboratory at Johnson Space Center teamed up with GM to design the new robot.
It is very safe to say that the United States and NASA possess the state of the art in robotic dexterity, said Nic Radford, the Robonaut deputy project manager. The ideas are limitless.
The bot will be phased into operation in three stages. First, itll operate only from a fixed position inside the International Space Station. Then, itll be allowed to move about inside, and finally within a few years, it will be allowed to do extravehicular activities.
Its really going more to an autonomous system, Radford said. Right now, it has a task-based system built up of behaviors. We program in a task and based on the sensory input that it receives, its able to make decisions on what its going to do next.
The opportunity to test on the robot in orbit has Radford, Wilson and Hoffman excited.
This has been a dream of our group for a long time, Radford said.
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/robonaut-rides-the-shuttle/#ixzz0ly51nY9f
this is excellent. despite the fervor some people have in favor of manned exploration, the future is unmanned robotic exploration. Exploration, construction, and repairs will eventually all be done by robots.
Obviously there are reasons to send people up there. But it is easier when most of what needs to be done, aside from the scientific research and settlement, is done by robots.
Humans need oxygen, food, water, protection from radiation, and facilities for human waste (urination and defecation). All things that a robot does not need. robots do not suffer degenerative effects from zero-gravity.
I am in favor of settlement of space. But a manned mission to Mars wouldn't be good just because it makes us feel good. Some people think having a few humans on somewhere means we've all collectively gone there. nope. you and I know nothing of what it's like to walk on the Moon.
My concept for the Moon and Mars missions involves two parts. Robots are sent there first. They explore and build. Then humans go there. Sending humans without a proper protective habitat environment would just mean that all they would do is run or drive around and leave. Humans cannot build these things because they have many needs and it would be inefficient to send people up there to build things (this is what I've said to the OpenLuna Foundation, they pander to these illusions too)
I would start sending the robots soon. so I actually think my vision is more efficient. The reason why they have to have all this planning and delays is because they focus on putting people on the Moon and Mars so nothing gets done.
A humanoid robot will visit space for the first time in September aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, NASA announced Wednesday.
The Robonaut 2, which was co-developed by NASA with General Motors, will serve as an assistant to the humans on board the International Space Station, using the same tools developed for astronauts.
While plain old robots, such as the Mars Phoenix Lander, are a major part of NASAs operations, humanoid robots are a different story. There is significant science-fiction appeal to the idea of humanoid robotic helpers for humans, but does the idea makes more than literary sense? Yes, said Jeffrey Hoffman, an MIT aerospace professor and former astronaut.
Im a very strong believer in human-robotic interaction. You can build up a synergy to accomplish what neither humans nor robots could accomplish on their own, Hoffman said. Thats the inspiration behind Robonaut.
Many successful robots, like Kivas product-distribution robots (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/retailrobots/) or the militarys little helpers (http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/tag/drones/) look nothing like humans. And some space researchers like MIT historian and policy analyst David Mindell (http://web.mit.edu/mindell/www/) dont think humanoid robots are a very good idea. But the International Space Station may be the perfect place for a humanoid robot.
Its incredibly important that Robonaut have a humanoid form factor because hes being sent into space, and its incredibly expensive, and he has to do a lot to pay himself off, said former roboticist Daniel Wilson (author of How to Build a Robot Army). It has to be able to pick up any tool that an astronaut could use and go outside.
Wilson argued that space was a uniquely good environment to showcase both the versatility of people and a general-purpose humanoid robot.
You cant bring a tool to solve every single problem. Theres no way. Astronauts cant haul all that shit up there. Its like, I have a screwdriver and my brain, and I need to solve the problem, and I dont know what the problem is before I leave the planet, Wilson said. You can use the humanoid to leverage all those tools.
James Hughes, who studies emerging technologies at Trinity University, suggested that humanoid robots may provide a nice middle ground between hardcore human spaceflight evangelists and those who would rather see robotic missions. Most space watchers feel that the human programs are what drives interest and funding in exploration, while scientific investigation will be driven by robots.
A humanoid robot splits the difference. You get some of the advantages of both and hopefully it will be a nice compromise between the two, said Hughes. But it may not satisfy either side.
The Robonaut project began in 1996 and the first version of the bot came out in 2000. In 2006, NASAs Dexterous Robotics Laboratory at Johnson Space Center teamed up with GM to design the new robot.
It is very safe to say that the United States and NASA possess the state of the art in robotic dexterity, said Nic Radford, the Robonaut deputy project manager. The ideas are limitless.
The bot will be phased into operation in three stages. First, itll operate only from a fixed position inside the International Space Station. Then, itll be allowed to move about inside, and finally within a few years, it will be allowed to do extravehicular activities.
Its really going more to an autonomous system, Radford said. Right now, it has a task-based system built up of behaviors. We program in a task and based on the sensory input that it receives, its able to make decisions on what its going to do next.
The opportunity to test on the robot in orbit has Radford, Wilson and Hoffman excited.
This has been a dream of our group for a long time, Radford said.
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/robonaut-rides-the-shuttle/#ixzz0ly51nY9f
this is excellent. despite the fervor some people have in favor of manned exploration, the future is unmanned robotic exploration. Exploration, construction, and repairs will eventually all be done by robots.
Obviously there are reasons to send people up there. But it is easier when most of what needs to be done, aside from the scientific research and settlement, is done by robots.
Humans need oxygen, food, water, protection from radiation, and facilities for human waste (urination and defecation). All things that a robot does not need. robots do not suffer degenerative effects from zero-gravity.
I am in favor of settlement of space. But a manned mission to Mars wouldn't be good just because it makes us feel good. Some people think having a few humans on somewhere means we've all collectively gone there. nope. you and I know nothing of what it's like to walk on the Moon.
My concept for the Moon and Mars missions involves two parts. Robots are sent there first. They explore and build. Then humans go there. Sending humans without a proper protective habitat environment would just mean that all they would do is run or drive around and leave. Humans cannot build these things because they have many needs and it would be inefficient to send people up there to build things (this is what I've said to the OpenLuna Foundation, they pander to these illusions too)
I would start sending the robots soon. so I actually think my vision is more efficient. The reason why they have to have all this planning and delays is because they focus on putting people on the Moon and Mars so nothing gets done.