Humanoid robot will befriend astronauts in space

Humanoid robot will befriend astronauts in space

BY NICOLETTE EMMINO

It must get lonely orbiting more than 200 miles above Earth in the International Space Station. Now, a robot is being developed to befriend and communicate with astronauts aboard the ISS.

Cartoon sketch of the humanoid robot that will accompany astronauts in space. (Image via Dentsu,Inc.)

The Kibo Robot Project is a joint research venture being carried out by Japanese groups such as the University of Tokyo, Dentsu, Inc., and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Together, they are developing a 13-inch robot that weighs just over 2 pounds and will interact with astronauts in space. The humanoid robot will possess voice and facial recognition, natural language processing, voice synthesis, telecommunications functions, and a recording camera.

The team’s robot idea introduces a new style of robots, ones that can interact with humans. Robots like these can do more than just carry on conversations with astronauts. They can potentially aid those that live alone and provide more socialization for humans. According to the Kibo team’s mission statement, the hope is “to help solve the problems brought about by a society that has become more individualized and less communicative.” During its participation in the project, Toyota will be gathering data that will aid in the development of the “Toyota Partner Robot,” which can co-exist with humans.

The building process is set to be completed by February 2013 and will shortly after undergo training and demonstrations before being launched in the summer of 2013. By next winter, the robot will come face to face with Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese commander of the ISS.

Even when the astronauts return, the robot will remain at the ISS, sending messages back to Earth, taking pictures of Earth from space, and even posting to Twitter and other social media.

The Kibo Project’s team is creating an identical robot that will remain on earth as a backup and will be engaging in public relations work such as demonstrations.

Although the robot does not have a name yet, those interested are encouraged to submit suggestions to The Kibo Robot Project website. ■

The project's website can be found at: http://kibo-robo.jp/