NASA develops robotic helpers for astronauts
Robonaut, the first space humanoid, is finally getting legs! For three years, robonaut had to to manage from the waist up. This new pair of legs means the experimental robot — now stuck on a pedestal — is going mobile at the International Space Station.
‘‘Legs are going to really kind of open up the robot’s horizons,’’ said Robert Ambrose of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
It’s the next big step in NASA’s quest to develop robotic helpers for astronauts. With legs, the 8-foot Robonaut will be able to climb throughout the 260-mile-high outpost, performing mundane cleaning chores and fetching things for the human crew.
