Space suit
When it comes to robots there are two choices, you can
either let them do things on their own, or you can control them remotely. If a
task requires judgment, and your AI is not quite up to the job then the remote
control system known as telepresence is the way to go. It can also be the way
to go if you need to do repairs in places that are really inconvenient to get
to, like the depths of space.
One
team is working on an new telepresence project, but its not the robot who is in
space right now, it is the human controller. In a recent test done by the Ames
Research Center, a part of NASA, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano controlled a
robot on California soil from the heights of the International Space Station. The
robot he is controlling is a K-10 rover, which had made appearances in space
before.
If things go well with this testing the
remote system could allow these bots to explore all kinds of inhospitable situations
for us.
Source: Wired
Image: Morgue File
