NASA selects Robonaut 2 humanoid robot for duties on board the ISS

#NASA #humanoidrobot, #robonaut #ISS NASA has selected Robonaut 2, a humanoid robot, to work on board ISS alongside astronauts during not just spacewalks but also to attend to other routine duties. NASA has labeled Robonaut 2 (or R2) as the Invention of the Year for 2014.
This has been reported in zeenews.com dated 21 June 2015.

R2 is positioned aboard the International Space Station (ISS), but a whole lot of technologies developed for R2 are being adapted for use on Earth. This is helping to hone its skills and give it the distinction of an outstanding invention.
The first Robonaut was R1 and it had been developed as a ground prototype to explore the potential for a humanoid robot to assist astronauts during spacewalks by preparing worksites as well as making available an extra pair of dexterous hands during maintenance tasks.
Later, R2 was co-developed with General Motors (GM) through a Space Act Agreement and has turned out to be faster as well as more dexterous than the earlier version R1.
The new technologies that have evolved from R2 include a robotic glove, a robotic exoskeleton and telemedicine applications. In fact, the R2 technology has given rise to a total of 39 issued patents, with several more in the pipeline and under review.
(Image curtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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