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| Robonaut 2 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Robonaut 2 |
| Caption | Robonaut 2 aboard the International Space Station |
| Manufacturer | NASA, General Motors |
| Year | 2011 |
| Type | Humanoid robot |
| Purpose | Assist astronauts, perform EVA and IVA tasks |
Robonaut 2 Robonaut 2 is a humanoid robotic platform developed to operate alongside astronauts on the International Space Station and to perform tasks in space that would otherwise require human hands. Conceived as a joint effort between NASA and General Motors, the project built on prior robotic programs such as Robonaut and drew on technologies from institutions like Johnson Space Center and Ames Research Center. Robonaut 2 was intended to increase crew efficiency during missions such as STS-133 and long-duration habitation on the International Space Station.
Robonaut 2 (R2) is a humanlike dexterous machine designed to work in the confined interiors of spacecraft and to evolve toward extravehicular activity capability. The program links heritage from Dexterous Manipulation research at Carnegie Mellon University, MIT robotics labs, and industrial robotics development at General Motors and Ford Motor Company to create a platform with anthropomorphic hands, torso, and head sensors. R2’s deployment to the International Space Station was enabled by logistics missions including Space Shuttle flights and resupply vehicles from Orbital Sciences Corporation and SpaceX.
Development began as a collaboration between NASA and General Motors to investigate human-robot teaming for space and terrestrial manufacturing. The design process incorporated lessons from earlier projects such as Sojourner and ASIMO, and took inspiration from humanoid projects at Honda and Boston Dynamics. Engineering teams at Johnson Space Center and Leland Stanford Junior University worked on anthropomorphic articulation, while electronics and actuator development involved partners including Honeywell and Rockwell Collins. Safety and redundancy considerations referenced standards from European Space Agency and testing protocols informed by National Aeronautics and Space Act mandates.
R2’s hardware combines a torso, two dexterous arms, and a sensor-rich head with stereo cameras and lidar. Actuation uses electric motors with harmonic drives similar to those in PR2 and KUKA manipulators; hands include multiple degrees of freedom inspired by research at University of California, Berkeley and ETH Zurich. The sensory suite integrates stereo vision from cameras used by teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, force/torque sensors comparable to units from ATI Industrial Automation, and communication interfaces compatible with Space Station Remote Manipulator System integration. Power architectures reference systems used on International Space Station experiments and employ thermal control approaches used by Hubble Space Telescope instrumentation.
Robonaut 2 runs software stacks enabling teleoperation, shared autonomy, and supervised control influenced by frameworks from NASA robotics groups and open-source initiatives like ROS used by Willow Garage. Perception algorithms draw on work from Stanford AI Lab, Carnegie Mellon University vision groups, and machine learning research at Google DeepMind and OpenAI for object recognition and grasp planning. Control systems integrate motion planning methods developed for DARPA challenges and use simulation tools similar to those from Simulink and Gazebo for virtual testing by teams at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
R2 underwent verification and validation testing at Johnson Space Center facilities, noise and vibration testing referencing standards from European Space Agency laboratories, and thermal vacuum trials at centers like Glenn Research Center. Early integration relied on cargo manifests for Space Shuttle missions including STS-133 and on launch processing at Kennedy Space Center. Ground trials included human-in-the-loop teleoperation exercises with astronauts from NASA Astronaut Corps and coordination with mission planners at Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas.
After delivery to the International Space Station in 2011, R2 was installed in the Destiny laboratory and later relocated for experiments in collaboration with crews including expedition members from Expedition 28 and Expedition 29. On orbit, R2 performed tasks such as tool handling, manipulation of cargo, and trials of telepresence control using communication links through Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. Tests evaluated performance relative to crew time measurements used by ISS Program Office and informed discussions with planners at NASA Headquarters about future robotic augmentation for long-duration missions to destinations like Mars and Lunar Gateway.
Robonaut 2 advanced integrations of humanoid manipulation, human-robot interaction, and space-qualified robotic hardware, influencing subsequent projects at NASA and commercial partners including SpaceX and Blue Origin. Technologies from R2 contributed to research at University of Tokyo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and industrial automation efforts at Siemens and ABB. The program informed policy and planning discussions involving National Research Council studies on human exploration, and has been cited in proposals for robotic assistants on missions such as Artemis and robotic servicing concepts for satellites like those pursued by Northrop Grumman.
Category:NASA robots Category:Humanoid robots Category:International Space Station