NASA and GM Take a Giant Leap Forward in Robotics

NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM worked together through a Space Act Agreement at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants.

The two organizations, with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, developed and built the next iteration of Robonaut. Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexterous and more technologically advanced robot. This new generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines. R2 can work safely alongside people, a necessity both on Earth and in space.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Robonaut
• NASA
• JSC
• GM
• General
• Motors
• Humanoid
• R2
• robotics
• dextrous
• hand
• space

[wotan150]

Instead of programming the robots actions, they should instead use a human with gloves or even an entire outfit wired with sensors, so that the robot will mimic his actions.

[jbibby2007]

That actually is being done. The Robonaut1 has these abilities and it has recently been added to R2. We call it teleoperation.

[jbibby2007]

The big difference between R2 and Asimo is the dexterity of the hands. R2 can manipulate tools and and control flexible materials. That might seem easy for you and me, but for a robot mainting control of a flexible object is very difficult. The sensing ability in just the hands is far superior. This gives it the ability to give feedback for automating tasks that can not be done by any other robot.

[trekgeek1]

Anyone who thinks this stuff is a waste of time would do well to research the space program. Much of what we know about the earth and many technologies you use are from these programs. If you say it is useless, you don't know anything about what they do.

[binyam73]

that was inspiring and i cant wait to become like 1 of u guys i want to change the world to the better :)

[grozmo1]

The full potential of this technology is mind boggling!!

[jaymanchu]

A robot to help astronauts, that's So 2001!

[canadian7233]

@RainbowVoiceCarrie I agree there alot of benifits, and they outweigh the cons of this, thats forsure. You cant replicate the human touch with a machine in anyway, shape or form though, but these robots will play a key part in our continued discovery of the universe

[RainbowVoiceCarrie]

@canadian7233 ..is like ud say microvawesll take cheap cooks job..well, almost. dunno how bout you but I dont think that well progress 2 that point where theres no in 2 control such useful TOOL-any near. maybe its just that Im stupid/what but u know how its..

think this partially loosing time/partially amazing -d say: Not That Giant Leap But, Well, A Leap. truth is that some it's parts r pleasable quite good! I get its benefits, althought m not that much positive about this anyway, I dont agree.

[canadian7233]

funny in ten years kids wont be able to dream of being astronauts, jobs will be taken by robots just like GM plants

[ssj5ggta]

hey i got an idea combine R2 and Watson from jeopardy

[kingraider7]

yeah... to bad this cost more then alot of people are worth

[CarlTubeMedia]

I've seen this movie!

surrogates!

-Oh my, technology is exciting

[mccay35f]

Has vowed to continue the hunt for Sarah Connor.