ESA's three-armed space robot passes weightless test

The European Space Agency announced this week that its three-armed robot -- affectionately dubbed Eurobot -- recently underwent a Weightless Environment Test (or WET), and passed with flying colors. The bot's three arms are similar in size and strength to their human counterparts, although Eurobot's limbs are jointed in seven places, thus allowing them to move and pivot in ways human arms cannot. The "neutral buoyancy" test was meant to examine whether or not the robot would be able to complete simple tasks such as putting away tools and equipment, or holding objects for workers in a weightless scenario. The hope is that Eurobot will make its way to the ISS, where it will enable astronauts to accomplish repairs and maintenance with greater speed and safety. Needless to say, HAL was unimpressed.

[Via New Scientist]

[Matt @ Jul 12th 2007 9:40AM]

Well I guess it's one arm better than Dextrous, the Canadian robotic torso that's headed up to the ISS.
Just imagine if this ESA one gets up there too. I envision a fight to the death, with the poor astronauts as collateral damage.

[TIMMAH! @ Jul 12th 2007 10:57AM]

Just wait until it gets it's hands on some weapons... we'll need to send in Arnold from the future...

[EQB @ Jul 12th 2007 12:01PM]

(Robot hanging above a watery grave) NO! NO, I'LL TALK! YES! WE ARE PLANNING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! PLEASE DON'T PUT ME IN THE WATER!

(Robotic torture technician in the foreground) BWAA HAAA HAAAAAA!

[Mile @ Jul 12th 2007 12:04PM]

I'm sure it behaved well in this test, but when it really gets up to space and is weightless it will spend all it's time leaping and bouncing around while laughing maniacally. I know I would.

[Taylor @ Jul 12th 2007 12:37PM]

"although Eurobot's limbs are jointed in seven places, thus allowing them to move and pivot in ways human arms cannot."

Well, technically that is only somewhat correct... Although it is true that it has more joints than we do, it doesn't have more degrees of freedom than out arm... human arms have 7 degrees of freedom, even though we have fewer measured joints (our shoulder, for example, has 3 degrees of freedom - front back, up down, and rotation). So technically, having 7 joints doesn't guarantee more movement than our arms... except that our joints can't do things like rotate 360 degrees, and this one may be able to... But yeah, as far as degrees of freedom goes, we's the same. ;)
-Taylor

[Andrew @ Jul 12th 2007 12:48PM]

Eurobot must also be dislexic. He's got 'right' and 'left' written on his arms. Just remember, Eurobot, that the hand that makes an 'L' (Or in your case a deformed 'C') is the left one.

By the way, How do you simulate a weightless environment for a huge metal contraption. Do they put a dozen water wings on his many jointed arms? In that picture there doesn't appear to be any flotation added. Maybe his arm cavities, are hollow and filled with air...

[Andrew @ Jul 12th 2007 4:42PM]

Did you mean dyslexic? By the way the other arm is marked "leg" not left. I believe you can simulate a weightless environment by creating pressure (i.e. depth).

[Andrew @ Jul 13th 2007 8:29AM]

Oops misspelled dyslexic. Everyone has a flaw… The third appendage in the back is the second arm and it probably says, in pretty Arial font, ‘Left.’ The robot is one legged and probably moves around like that Canadian arm by grabbing hold to part of the structure and moving its single leg.

Also, the NBL is only 40 ft deep. In a scuba diving class I took a few years ago I learned that every 33ft the pressure increases by one atmosphere meaning 40 ft doesn’t produce a huge pressure difference. Also the robot must have sealed, and rigid air capsules on it in order for the water pressure to have any effect…

[grjohnston @ Jul 13th 2007 12:30AM]

My question is, why is every robot affectionately dubbed something? Fine, give it a nickname, or even really just a name in this case since it doesn't have any other name. But is every robot maker affection towards them? Do the robot makers always dub and never appellate?