About a decade ago, two of our favorite government entities,
NASA and
DARPA, paired off to create the robotic astronaut of the future: Robonaut. He had a cool copper helmet and some faux-muscly arms, but ultimately never made it to space. Now, 10 years on, NASA's back with Robonaut2, created along with General Motors, who hopes to enslave poor R2 in its assembly plants. The details of exactly what has changed in this iteration are slim, but R2 is said to be more dexterous than its predecessor and stronger too, able to lift a 20lb dumbbell without getting all red in the face. It also seems to have lasers in its knuckles for some reason we can't quite figure out, but we're digging the look nevertheless. R2 is said to be helping NASA into a "bold new era of space exploration," and while we don't know exactly when that bold new era begins (now?), we do have a particularly menacing video of the original Robonaut included below, as well as
one two of the fit and trim new model.
[Thanks, Adam]
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posted February 4th 2010 7:39AM
This makes much more sense. No air, no water, no biological waste.
No psychotic female robots that wear diapers on long stalking road trips.
@HektikLyfe Exactly the sort of comment I've been missing.
Aww shucks, I'm getting all misty eyed over here.
Gm workers will lose jobs, bad news for them
@ango The UAW is working on a robotic Walter Reuther.
R2 looks at asimo "ha, i got fingers, i attract sexy robots!"
The ability to lift big weights will be really useful in zero gravity!
@Booshack Was anyone else hoping he was gonna bend that big metal pipe? That woulda been badass!
@Booshack
They have to be strong. How else are they going to crush human skulls once they become the enforcers of our Robotic Overlords' new regime?
@Booshack
No you are right, a robots arms should be made out of paper and straws. That will cut the cost by at least $50mill. Yeah... who needs muscles in zero-G. Screw muscles and bones, real men use minds to repair a satellite and dig for rocks.
Is there a reason that we continue to gravitate toward the human shaped robot? is that really the best form that a robot could take?
@Kabong30
It's what we know best (hence everything a robot would interact with is built for a human)
@Kabong30
umm humans have only created everything on Earth not by pure chance so why screw up what nature has designed?
I'd be ok with putting my brain in that robot body if they could make it look a bit more like Adrienne Barbeau and upped the strength to at least that of 5 gorillas.
Uh, the lasers are for going "pew pew" at, DUUUHHHHH!
I've said it before and I'll said it again, why can't someone make a robot that isn't creepy! Although loving the mask/head lol
Trying to figure out which Halo 3 armor that head most resembles.
Are you sure that's not Daft Punk in there?
Laser knuckles?
...for laser punching?
@Phoenix
The lazor beemz knucles are for mundane tasks such as cutting through steel. But yea, I suppose if you made some anti-robotic remarks you might get laser punched.
i always wondered if the old robonaut's backpacks got jets?
Does this mean I can get cash for my old robot now? ; ^ ) LOL!
It looks like the Deathmask from Mass Effect 2
It's not a laser....it's a little lightbulb that blinks
Thats one small step for robots...and one giant middle finger for mankind...
Wow, that blurry guy at 1:25 looks like a real pro!
scary cool.
i liked the original concept that had the boba fett-esque helmet better, for obvious reasons.
@aaronaut here's the NASA link http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/R1/index.asp
looks like they used a paintball mask for the head
I keep thinking of cylons =)
Pretty cool tech though. Once they perfect this it'll be amazing to see how many applications this could be used for. I kinda imagine a world like in I, Robot...
I am very impressed. In the second video, you can see it articulate it's fingers and handle the manila envelope. Very impressed. Go Nasa!
The Helmet reminds me of the same helmet that Samus from the game Metroid Prime uses.
Skynet
If it get going very well it could easily replace spacewalks. When they in that bulky suit they don't have much mobility any way.
Now that's a real robot!
Japan can suck it.
I can haz Recon?
hmm...GM working with the government..that makes perfect sense, maybe this is how they are paying back all that money Uncle Sam "loaned" them
oh i thought this was a good advancement in robotics. all you facebook users should add NASA for more up to date inventions (this video is already a week old): facebook.com/nasa.gov
What if a BigDog carrys the R2??
this is really a big interstellar cage fight between man and robot.
"LET'S GET READY TO RUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLEEE!!!1"