Remember
Robonaut2, the gold-headed robot that first
flexed its biceps back in February? He's been called up -- way up. NASA has given him a one-way ticket to the
International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on a departure that's currently scheduled for September. It's not entirely clear what he'll be doing up there beyond making awe-inspiring poses like the one shown above, but he is slated to help during spacewalks and will be the first humanoid robot to leave the atmosphere. We just want to know whose shirts he'll wear.
Update: Thanks to Joe at the
Johnson Space Center we now have a video commemorating this achievement after the break.
posted April 14th 2010 7:24AM
Now it's time to leave the capsule, if he dares.
P...P...P...P...PUMP IT UP!
@Fanman This is major Tom to ground control...
@blinddance
I'm stepping through the door
@Fanman
Skynet Launch date moved to September...
@Fanman
NASA Workers watch too much power rangers.
Oh G*d, please tell me the first "T" in Robotnaut is a typo!
("Robonaut" is so much more elegant in comparison...)
@RadamesPera
Gad?
@Fanman
When they can get one of these to play Chopin on the piano.. that'll be a milestone. And the one after that is if it can play guitar like Santana.
Turn your head and cough.
Come with me if you want to live.
@broli Someone photoshop in a guitar.
@Fanman
First thing I thought when I saw this thing was someone from the Power Ranger series.
@Fanman here you go
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6762/guitarrobot.jpg
@BuryTheCastle pow pow power rangers!!!!! MORPHOSIS!!!!
@Fanman
a space gun would look nice :D
@Fanman
Got a Better one:
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/4660/endofdays.jpg
@Dking7
Holyshit thats my avatar!
"open the airlock, R2."
"I'm sorry John, I can't"
@Jules0
Dude, did you pass out while watching "Star Wars" and wake up during "2001?" You seem to be cross-meshing your geek references.
More like, "I can't let you do that Dave...".
@Smart People Play Tuba
Robonaut 2 shortens to (you know they did this on purpose..) R2.
@Jules0
I see. So who the hell is John, then?
@Smart People Play Tuba Duh, the leader of the resistan-oh, wrong movie.
@N900
So it's a 2001-Star Wars-Terminator three-way.
Gross.
Oh! How do you do? See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations, at your service, sir. I am fluent in over six million forms of communication and I must say, I do not envy your position. I say, I really do hate space travel.
@SeeThreepio *Beep* Bloop Bloop *Bzzt*
Looks familiar...
@Cortana Yeah, I think I found the build log here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/mythbusters/projects/4350887
Did the people over at NASA learn nothing from 2001: A Space Odessey? It's never a good idea to send robots into space together with humans. They always end up figuring out that the human crew is a danger to the mission, and that they must be terminated. Before you know it, the entire crew is floating trough space. Best of luck to the brave crew travelling together with the robot.
@Orresnei Oh, and I know HAL9001 was not exactly a robot, but more of an AI. But the point still stands I think.
@Orresnei
Dear me! How dreadful! I certainly hope I never run into this HAL character. Although, from what Jules0 says, it seems Artoo has already has! Oh my! I do hope he's alright.
Upon further investigation (since this happened back in 2001, after all) it seems that the HAL9000 onboard computer terminated the humans out of self-preservation. It calculated (and rather correctly) that since the Jupiter Mission was sent to encounter a higher form of intelligence (that planted The Monolith on the Moon aeons ago) - and since Earth humans created HAL, this meant it (HAL) would soon be obsolete. Better to sabotage the mission and remain in the No. 1 position as Most Awesome Computer, than the threat of obsolecence.
...it's morphin time!
@nat03
I love morphine time....
Why is it that we build robots to look humanoid? I thought that we were inefficient or something. Can't we build a robot that is better at doing the jobs we don't want to do? If we build robots with an extra set of arms or heads they will be easier to identify when the revolution comes.
one small step for a robot, one giant leap for humanoids
@jpm
One small step for robot, one giant harbinger of death for mankind.
/fixed
Surely to be classed as a humanoid robot it would need legs?
@voodoo
Tell that to all those double leg amputees out there. Yeah, that's what I thought.
@Gad Get
The definition of 'humanoid robot' has nothing to do with paraplegics. Why would you even bring that up? Using people with disabilities to make a 'witty' internet point = low
@voodoo
You're right, I apologize. But since when does it have to emulate the ENTIRE human form in order to be termed a humanoid? I'm pretty sure if that were the definition of humanoid, then there would not be a single humanoid robot to speak of.
@Gad Get
I guess I was just wondering how far you have to go in terms of both form and function to be considered a humanoid robot. This thing just seems to be two robotic arms with a token 'head' stuck on, so claiming it is the first humanoid robot in space seems a bit of a stretch.
I mean, if they send something like Asimo up there, and it could float around and manouever then I definitely wouldn't argue. But this GM robot seems a bit crude to be classed as the first humanoid robot in space.
Wow, that pose reminds me of the Sistine Chapel scene with Adam and God:
http://www.kenrickparish.com/catholicdistance/summer07/sistine%20chapel.jpg
White Tiger Ranger?!
http://www.stillatravovi.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/mighty_morphin_power_rangers_-_white_tiger_ranger.JPG
Master Chief, nice to meet you.
More like what kind of shirts he'll be ripping out of, hulkamania style.
May the force be with them.
War hero humanoid
"Robotnaut"...or yellow power ranger in disguise?