Introduction to How Robonauts Will Work

One of the most interesting things about space travel is the drama. Human beings place themselves into amazing vehicles and travel into a completely hostile environment that is almost beyond imagination, and then describe their experiences for us in words and pictures. Landing on the moon would not have been quite the same without the astronauts providing us with words to go along with grainy black and white pictures of the lunar landscape. They provided us with an experience that not even Hollywood could create, because it is completely real.

Robonaut Image Gallery


Photo courtesy NASA
Robonauts will be able to spend a limitless amount of time in space
maintaining the space station. See more Robonaut pictures.

However, the problem with human space exploration is that the human body is too fragile for the harsh conditions of space. We have learned that space travel can take its toll on astronauts. Temperatures in space can swing from 248 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius) to -148 F (-100 C). There also isn't the Earth's atmosphere to shield us from the sun's radiation. In order to survive, astronauts must wear bulky space suits that cost about $12 million each. Space suits are not practical for an emergency situation -- for example, if the International Space Station (ISS) were struck by an object and needed to be repaired immediately. It takes an astronaut at least three hours to prepare for a space walk to perform such repairs.

NASA has recognized the frailty of our bodies and is preparing a new breed of astronauts to perform some of the more difficult tasks in space. These new space explorers won't need space suits or oxygen to survive outside of spacecraft. In this edition of How Stuff Will Work, we will learn about the development of these robotic astronauts, or Robonauts, and how they will assist humans in future missions in space.

Robonaut's Body


Photo courtesy NASA
Robonaut will have a humanoid design in order to mimic the movements of a real person

Robots aren't new to the space program. Robotic probes and rovers have been traveling to Mars since before man stepped foot on the moon. In 1965, the Mariner IV planetary probe sent back the first images of the red planet at close range. In 1997, the Pathfinder rover provided scientists with unprecedented detail of the Martian atmosphere and surface. What's different about the latest robotic astronaut is that it has a humanoid design with a head, two eyes, arms and five-digit hands. Let's take a look at the individual parts that make up the Robonaut:

  • Head -- Two small color video cameras are mounted in the head piece that delivers stereo vision to the astronaut operating the Robonaut. Stereolithography was used to make an epoxy-resin helmet to cover and protect the head piece. The neck is jointed to allow the head to turn side to side and up and down.


    Photo courtesy NASA
    Robonaut's head

  • Torso -- The torso provides a central unit for connecting the peripheral arm, head and leg attachments. It also houses the control system, which is described in the next section.
  • Leg -- The one part of the Robonauts design that deviates from the humanoid look is that it has only one leg. The leg's only function is to provide support when the hands are unable to.
  • Arms -- Just like its human counterparts, the Robonaut will have two arms that can move in many directions and have a greater range than our own arms. The arms will be equipped with more than 150 sensors each and will be densely packed with joints. Space-rated motors, harmonic drives and fail-safe brakes will be integrated into each arm.
  • Hands -- Perhaps the most impressive parts of the Robonaut are its hands. Its hands are the closest to the size and ability of human hands inside a space suit. The jointed hand may even exceed the movements of a suited human hand. Fourteen brushless motors to power each hand are inside the eight-inch-long forearm. The hand has four fingers and an opposable thumb. The hand was designed with five digits so that it would be compatible with tools designed for humans. Researchers have demonstrated the Robonaut's ability to pick up a small metal washer with tweezers. Together, the arm and hand unit can lift 21 pounds (9.5 kg), which doesn't sound like much, but in a weightless environment it's plenty of strength.


    Photo courtesy NASA
    Robonaut's hands might have better dexterity than a human handed inside of a space suit

The Robonaut is an ongoing project at Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA has spent about $3 million dollars and three years to develop this advanced space robot. However, Robonaut is unlikely to visit space in the next five years. Here are the current specifications for Robonaut:

Specifications Robonaut
Height 6.23 ft. (1.9 m)
Weight 410 lbs. (182 kg)
Structural Materials
Mostly aluminum with Kevlar and Teflon padding to protect it from fire and debris.
Computing Platform
 PowerPC processor
Operating System
 VxWorks
Source: Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species

Controlling the Robonaut

While Robonaut is sent out of the spacecraft to work on repairs or new construction, a human astronaut inside the spacecraft will control it remotely. The astronaut will be outfitted with a helmet and gloves, and Robonaut will mimic the astronaut's movements. If the astronaut looks up, the Robonaut's head will tilt backward to do the same. As the astronaut turns his or her head, whatever the Robonaut's cameras are focused on will be displayed inside the helmet that is controlling the robot's head movements. This form of remote control is called tele-presence, which virtually puts the astronaut in position to work on a spacecraft without actually being outside the spacecraft.


Photo courtesy NASA
NASA researchers demonstrates a prototype for the helmet that will control Robonaut's head movements

The primary purpose of Robonaut is to do what humans can't -- make a quick escape from a spacecraft to an environment with no oxygen. It can depart the spacecraft in the fraction of the time that a human astronaut can. In an emergency situation, when timing is crucial to survival, the Robonaut could save lives of future space voyagers. Robonaut won't be limited to use in space. It could also be used to go into hazardous locations on Earth in place of humans, like volcanoes and nuclear plants.

Robonaut will be powered by PowerPC processors, which has been used in other space applications. The processors will run the VxWorks real-time operating system. NASA says that this combination offers flexible computing and could support varied development activities. The system's software is written in C and C++. ControlShell software is used to aid the development process and provides a graphical development environment, which enhances researchers understanding of the system and code.

With computing power nearly doubling every two years, Robonaut could one day be looked back on as the beginning of a robotic takeover of the space industry. Robots with artificial intelligence, not man, could be the first explorers to walk on other planets in our solar system. Can you imagine hearing,"That's one small step for machines, and one giant leap for robot-kind." While that is unlikely to happen, the possibilities are exciting.

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