NASA's New Space Robot


While it won't be ready for travel to space any sooner than sometime within the next decade, the LEMUR robot may one day be able to replace humans on dangerous space-walks. NASA needs more funding. I could list all the technological advances made available to the public by NASA, but I'll just name the three that I use most. Velcro, microwaves, Tang.

From the NASA Press Release:
Since there's no gravity in space, Lemur could work upside down, as long as one limb is anchored. Astronauts could instruct Lemur to perform simple fixes inside or outside a spacecraft, eliminating the need for a human spacewalk.

Lemur's circular body enables it to move in any direction. Its "eyes," two stereo cameras on a circular track mounted on top, can swivel freely, which means the base of the robot doesn't have to rotate. "It saves time, because we can turn the cameras in the direction we want to move and then go," explains Kennedy. Lemur also has a palm-sized camera that doubles as a microscope.
NASA Press Release [via robots.net]
[see also: LEMUR Rover Systems @ NASA]

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