Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-05-2010 12:04 PM
From Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering via NASA Watch:
Credit: JSC Engineering/SpaceRef.com
This video of NASA JSC's "Project M" depicts a Robonaut-based, tele-operated mission to the Moon - one that JSC claims could be accomplished in 1,000 days once the go-ahead was given.
Saturn V Member
Posts: 176 From: Golden, Colorado, USA Registered: Nov 2006
posted 02-05-2010 12:31 PM
Fascinating! I want one for my home!
Questions are: Can he hit a golf ball? Can he find cone crater? Can he drill a core sample and not get the drill bit stuck? Can he carry along a spare battery to put into one of the rovers left on the moon?
I'm feeling jovial today.
Looks to me to be a good idea if the robot can perform the same funtions as a human. Would not want him to get stuck in the sand though like the rover on Mars. A robot would save alot of weight on not having to carry along oxygen and food.
Matt T Member
Posts: 1372 From: Chester, Cheshire, UK Registered: May 2001
posted 02-05-2010 12:37 PM
1000 Days Ago
I've been watching the Osaka Robotics Fairs on YouTube with my two sons - over and over and over... Unless NASA has the world's greatest robotics engineers hidden in a hangar this is fantasy, leagues ahead of anything being demonstrated to the world at large.
The phrase "look at the shiney shiney" keeps popping into my mind.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-05-2010 12:48 PM
I don't want to say you're comparing apples with oranges, but it is sort of like oranges and tangerines.
Robonaut is tele-operated, Asimo is autonomous. Telerobotics are much farther along than their autonomous cousins.
Two years ago I had a face-to-"face" demonstration with Robonaut (v.1) and "he" was already far more capable than Asimo.
Matt T Member
Posts: 1372 From: Chester, Cheshire, UK Registered: May 2001
posted 02-05-2010 01:03 PM
And I'll admit I knew but I couldn't resist it
However - on an unknown surface, with all the attendant risks from lunar dust jamming up bearings when it takes a few tumbles - it will not be bopping about the moon with anything like the speed and fluidity the advert is suggesting. And why should it? It's a robot, likely a very expensive one, with no reason to crawl around any faster than Spirit or Opportunity.
It's a lovely film but it's so clearly propaganda that it's almost breathtaking. "We didn't lose the moon, this guy's going - and he's just like us!" He even gets to go in a little LM just in case we didn't get it. Lovely
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-05-2010 01:09 PM
More about the Robonaut v.2 NASA and General Motors partnership:
Credit: NASA TV
cjh5801 Member
Posts: 189 From: Lacey Registered: Jun 2009
posted 02-05-2010 01:15 PM
Not as exciting as a manned mission to the moon, but it still gets the blood racing a bit. I'd be a bit concerned about balance as well, but even the Robonaut1 would be an improvement over the standard rover concept.
posted 02-05-2010 07:21 PM
Has GM/NASA has performed some test in a simulated 1/6G environment? Robonaut's reaction will certainly be different on the Moon.
kyra Member
Posts: 596 From: Louisville CO US Registered: Aug 2003
posted 02-05-2010 08:04 PM
I can see a great deal of potential in utilizing a robonaut on the ISS over the next ten years. When you consider that an astronaut's time is valued in the thousands of dollars a minute it seems silly to use this time on housekeeping, logistics, and maintenance. By having a robotnaut or two buzzing about 24-hours a day minus "charge" time (if any), an astronaut could truly focus on science tasks.
Dwight Member
Posts: 613 From: Germany Registered: Dec 2003
posted 03-20-2010 01:36 PM
This sounds like a pretty cool idea. We could get a robonaut's eye view in near realtime of the lunar surface.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-01-2010 06:57 PM
Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering
Existing Technology to Be Used for Project M
While the project is not fully funded nor vetted at the agency level, much progress has already been made by leveraging and coalescing existing, funded technology work; by forming innovative partnerships; and by a small project team focusing on fast iterative design, test, and execution.
Project M is a proposed project to land an operational humanoid robot on the moon in 1000 days (M is the Roman numeral for 1000). The humanoid will travel to the moon on a small lander fueled by green propellants, liquid methane and liquid oxygen. It will perform a precision, autonomous landing, avoiding any hazards or obstacles on the surface. Upon landing the robot will deploy and walk on the surface performing a multitude of tasks focused on demonstrating engineering tasks such as maintenance and construction; performing science of opportunity (i.e. using existing sensors on the robot or small science instruments); and simple student experiments.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-01-2010 07:00 PM
quote:Originally posted by kyra: I can see a great deal of potential in utilizing a robonaut on the ISS over the next ten years.
Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering
Robonaut Animation Depicting EVA work on ISS
This animation depicts Robonaut performing repair work during an EVA on the International Space Station.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-01-2010 07:02 PM
Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering
Project M Lander Free Flight
This video is of NASA Project M Lander free flight test at Armadillo Aerospace outside of Dallas. The lander launched on June 23rd 2010. This is the prototype of the lander that will launch a version of Robonaut on future exploratory missions.
Spacefest Member
Posts: 1168 From: Tucson, AZ Registered: Jan 2009
posted 07-01-2010 09:42 PM
No word about money. I guess GM wouldn't need to worry about another bailout. They'd just have another NASA "cost overrun."
NASA has been funding their robotics division at a low level since the 1980's. I did their patch in 1991. I'm glad to see the department on the threshold of something useful.
But a C3PO named R2?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50516 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-01-2010 10:05 PM
GM is only one partner in Project M -- others include Draper Labs, Oceaneering, Armadillo Aerospace (that is their prototype lander you see flying in the video), the European Space Agency, Jacobs Engineering, the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) and Boston Power.
For more details, see this May 2010 white paper (PDF, 25mb).
(And C3PO in NASA-speak is Commercial Crew and Cargo Project Office.)
cjh5801 Member
Posts: 189 From: Lacey Registered: Jun 2009
posted 07-07-2010 03:49 PM
I'm extremely pleased to see all the progress being made on this project. I'm not so sure why they're insisting on sticking with a bipedal robot, however. It was hard enough for humans to retain their footing on the Moon.
posted 02-05-2010 12:04 PM
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