- Robonaut
Robonaut is a joint DARPA–
NASA project designed to create ahumanoid robot which can function as an equivalent to humans duringextra-vehicular activity (space walks). There are multiple versions of this robot using various locomotion methods. Some versions of the robot use theSegway HT for locomotion [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/robotics/2004-10-20-rise-of-robots_x.htm] . Robonaut usestelepresence and various levels of robotic autonomy. While not all human range of motion and sensitivity has been duplicated, the robot's hand has fourteen degrees of freedom and usestouch sensor s at the tips of its fingers.Its likeness to "
Star Wars " bounty hunterBoba Fett has been noted by some. This is due to the fact that both Robonaut's and Boba Fett's designers were inspired by the appearance of the Romancenturion helmet.Robonaut was created by the likes of
Philip Strawser ,Kris Verdeyen ,Bill Bluethmann , andRobert O. Ambrose , employees of theJohnson Space Center in Houston.Robonaut has participated in NASA's
Desert Research and Technology Studies field trials in the Arizona desert.In 2007, Robonaut has been featured in such documentary films as "" and "Mars Rising".
With a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from NASA, the company Sensics, LLC of Baltimore, MD has further developed the visual interface of the Robonaut. (See NASA's "Spinoff" publication or the [http://www.sensics.com/ Sensics web site.)]
External links
* [http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov Robonaut home page]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.