Robonaut2 extends his right arm for the first time on Oct. 13, as NASA astronaut Mike Fossum looks on. Photo Credit/NASA TV
Robonaut2, a legless robot developed by NASA and automaker General Motors and launched to the International Space Station in February, moved for the first time this week by reaching out in response to ground commands.
“We have his arms stretched out,” NASA astronaut Mike Fossum informed ground control teams as the muscular humanoid reached up from his perch in the station’s U. S. Destiny laboratory.
R2 is the focus of a long running exercise to determine whether humans and anthropomorphic machines are compatible, not only in space but on the terrestrial production floor as well. Work on a prototype began in 1997. Different versions of Robonaut, some with legs and others with him positioned in a chariot, have been proposed as a companion for human explorers assigned to the moon and asteroids.
Engineers hope that R2 can be fitted with legs in the future and perhaps assigned to maintenance duties inside the station — chores like cleaning air filters and sanitizing hand rails. Eventually, R2 might join an astronaut for a spacewalk and serve as an assistant who prepares a worksite for his human side kick.
Fossom told ground based engineers that R2’s first movements in weightlessness went smoothly with the exception of a snag with the sleeve like fabric that covers the arms.
“This is a big step,” he told the flight control team. “It’s an exciting day for the R2 team.”
Some versions of Robonaut would perch on wheeled vehicles for mobility or perhaps a propulsive exploration vehicle that could "hover" over the surface of an asteroid. Photo Credit/NASA Photo
When Robonaut 2 arrived on the station aboard the shuttle Discovery, he was packed away until astronauts could complete the lengthy assembly and outfitting of the orbiting science laboratory. The near 11-year task was completed in late July.
While positioned in the Destiny lab, R2 was awakened electronically for the first time on Aug 22. Plans for “first motion” on Sept. 1 were postponed when ground-based engineers observed a need for further adjustments to the robot’s force sensors.
Just like humans, R2 needed some time to adapt to weightlessness.
Soon, R2 could begin to experiment with hand tools inside Destiny. Engineers would like to see how adept he is at using them in the absence of gravity.