NASA and General Motor and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, to build a new dexterous humanoid robot called Robonaut2 (R2 for short). R2 is the direct descendant of Robonaut, a humanoid model designed by NASA to assist astronauts during spacewalks
Robonaut 2, nicknamed R2, seems more destined for a car assembly plant than the far reaches of space. It can lift 20 pounds with each arm, about four times that of other humanoid robots, according to NASA. Its nimble hands, fingers, and opposable thumbs also enable it to use the same tools normally used by human hands. Moreover, GM says R2 can be used to develop advanced safety systems for future vehicles, as well as provide improved safety and efficiency in the company’s manufacturing plants. NASA may use “Robonaut2,” or R2 for short.
“Their focus on durability and ease of use is different from NASA’s,” Diftler says. NASA robots are typically operated by highly-trained personnel, who issue various complex commands. And as robust as the Martian rovers appear to be, space-bound bots are designed to perform a given action hundreds of time” Robonaut2 project manager Myron Diftler said.
