Space ‘Bot
Working in outer space has been compared to climbing a mountain in scuba gear. Tough on astronauts-and dangerous. One solution: Let robots do it. NASA’s Johnson Space Center is working on a handy humanoid robot that’s designed to live and work in the void. So far, says project leader Robert Ambrose, NASA has built only one arm of the “robonaut.” That’s the key component, though. Packed with 19 motors and 150 sensors, the arm has dexterous digits designed to grab tools, railings and other space stuff designed for human hands. The robonaut’s first assignment could be outside the International Space Station, where it would address equipment snafus, remote-controlled by humans inside the station. Ambrose says the robonaut, which won’t be space-ready for at least four years, could eventually serve on interplanetary missions or help fix satellites in high orbit.
Keep Reading
Most Popular

Toronto wants to kill the smart city forever
The city wants to get right what Sidewalk Labs got so wrong.

Saudi Arabia plans to spend $1 billion a year discovering treatments to slow aging
The oil kingdom fears that its population is aging at an accelerated rate and hopes to test drugs to reverse the problem. First up might be the diabetes drug metformin.

Yann LeCun has a bold new vision for the future of AI
One of the godfathers of deep learning pulls together old ideas to sketch out a fresh path for AI, but raises as many questions as he answers.

The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal images
Google Brain has revealed its own image-making AI, called Imagen. But don't expect to see anything that isn't wholesome.
Stay connected

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.