NASA is preparing to send the first human-like robot to space later this year, the US agency announced last week.
Robonaut 2, constructed as a joint project between NASA and General Motors, is set to become a permanent resident of Destiny lab, part of the International Space Station. The robot is intended to provide assistance to astronauts, and with human-like physical features and manual dexterity, will be able to use the same tools and instruments as its flesh companions.
While currently destined for outer space, Robonaut’s cousins could soon be headed for a neighbourhood closer to home. General Motors is hoping to develop similar bots that could be put to work at their many manufacturing plants on Earth.
Image caption: NASA’s Robonaut 2 can lift up to ten kilograms with each arm. — Rhiannon Elston
[via NASA]
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