NASA's Robonaut has taken its first steps_ During recent tests at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the experimental robot moved hand-over-hand outside a mock spacecraft, confirming that it could make repairs or install parts. It was mounted to a platform floating on a cushion of air, eliminating friction and simulating conditions an astronaut -- or Robonaut -- would experience in zero gravity. The humanoid robot also practiced gliding from one test station to the next on the gyro-stabilized wheels of a Segway scooter. The wheeled test proved that a single operator could remotely control the robot's mobility and its dexterity at the same time. 'We've copied the functions of a human, but not necessarily the form. From a distance it looks a little bit like an astronaut, but the real objective has been to build a machine to work with the same tools and EVA (extravehicular activity) interfaces that we've built for our crew. It's designed to work in space with, and similar to, humans.' The Robonaut Project is a joint effort between Johnson Space Center and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The goal is to build robots that could stay permanently on the outside of spacecraft for routine maintenance or emergencies.
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NASA ID
ksc_081704_robonaut
Date Created
August 18, 2004
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KSC
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video
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NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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