Robots and robotics are always fascinating ideas, a discussion of advanced innovation and scientific brilliance. The world with its advancements has managed to create robots that are now helping humankind in various aspects of the human lifestyle.
In the world of robotics, NASA is now at the advanced stages of testing its humanoid robot, Valkyrie. NASA is currently conducting some of the final stage tests at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
For the unversed, any entity with human-like characteristics and form is referred to as a humanoid.
Characteristics:
Valkyrie, NASA’s humanoid robot is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 136 kilograms. The name is Valkyrie is derived from a female figure in Norse mythology.
NASA aims to use Valkyrie in degraded or damaged human-engineered environments. However, its operation is not limited to such scenarios. NASA also believes that robots like Valkyrie could one day function in space.
According to Shaun Azimi, Team Leader of NASA Dexterous Robotics, humanoid robots in space hold the potential to handle intricate tasks like cleaning solar panels or inspecting malfunctioning equipment outside of spacecraft. This will allow astronauts to focus more on exploration and discovery, while the robots handle other tasks.
