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
| 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 |
