Why NASA Is Sending a Robot to Space That Looks Like You

A humanoid robot will visit space for the first time in September aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, NASA announced Wednesday.

The Robonaut 2, which was co-developed by NASA with General Motors, will serve as an assistant to the humans on board the International Space Station, using the same tools developed for astronauts.

While plain old robots, such as the Mars Phoenix Lander, are a major part of NASA’s operations, humanoid robots are a different story. There is significant science-fiction appeal to the idea of humanoid robotic helpers for humans, but does the idea makes more than literary sense? Yes, said Jeffrey Hoffman, an MIT aerospace professor and former astronaut.

Full report

Sorry if this story has already been posted , I did a search and found nothing posted ..

As interesting as this seems it does sound a bit creepy .

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d6ff7b903dcb.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 20-4-2010 by Max_TO]

Reply to post by Max_TO

agreed.
very spooky.
guess the humanauts are being phased out of the space program.....


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Wow, it looks like the history books might not have to include all of those "porn driven robot advancements" chapters now.

reply to post by RestingInPieces


I can't wait for the Jessica Alba or Salma Hayek lifelike robots.


I want HAL9000's voice to run my computer. Maybe not the menacing suicide rampage.

If you haven't watched Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey in a while or ever. Go out and rent or find it on the net and watch it. Not only a classic but a masterpiece. Considering that the technology in the movie was pretty far fetched for that time period yet amazingly accurate as to our needs for long distance space travel.

It would make sense that NASA and GM would make them human-like as the habitats and vehicles are built for humans. Not some big clumsy box.

reply to post by Max_TO


There are also these two ATS threads:

"Robotic Astronaut (a.ka. Robonaut) 2"
www.abovetopsecret.com...

"NASA and GM partner in Robonaut"
www.abovetopsecret.com...


[edit on 4/20/2010 by Larryman]

I getting a little worried now that the shuttle has been waved off for the second day. This mornings 7:30 ish landing was flaged again.

4/20/2010 not a good day for problems thru out history.

Last flight before retiring this shuttle (so its scrap anyway).

Florida landing with major fly-over of populated areas.

Unusaul flight pattern.

Just saying I have a bad feeling about today and the shuttle comes to mind.

Or maybe this site is starting to affect me mentally. hahaha