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The all-in-one man: Men love him, women adore him!

With the launch of the Endeavour Space Shuttle this month, NASA humanoid robot begins space work with help of iconic American car maker Chevrolet

2011-05-09

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Bulging beef cake bicep muscles, chiseled good looks, follows your instructions to the letter and doesn't talk back or complain. For Cathy Coleman, she lives very closely with the world's perfect man and their relationship is only at the beginning.

Although they've never been to the movies together and dinner is always a ready meal in a bag, she adores the way the new love of her life also loves all the jobs she hates – including the cleaning.

In fact getting to the movies or nipping out for a liter of milk is a bit of an issue for Cathy until 2012 as she is currently 425 km (264 miles) above the earth on board the International Space Station and in reality her dream date is a humanoid robot created through the unlikely partnership of NASA and iconic car maker Chevrolet.

Robonaut 2, or R2 as it is better known, is designed to assist astronauts on the International Space Station with everyday tasks while also helping Chevrolet develop leading-edge control, sensor and vision technologies used to create safer cars and places to work.

"We pinch ourselves every day we're doing this and feel we live in an amazing time and are changing the world in a more commonplace way with robots. Cutting-edge robotics technology holds great promise, not just for Chevrolet and NASA. The R2 program offers us the chance to develop a wide range of practical applications for the technology," said Marty Linn, Principal Robotics Engineer for Chevrolet.

The R2 program is also pioneering research into the future design of prosthetic limbs and even exo-skeletons for injured service men and women across the globe or people with restricted mobility – possibly using advanced sensors similar to those found in reverse parking systems. The engineers are also looking at ways of helping production line workers who lift massive weights.

Blast off

As the Endeavour Space Shuttle is being prepared to blast off from Cape Canaveral this May, on board will be a vital package for R2 - which has been living with the astronauts on the ISS since February this year – that will help start the robot’s program of weightless experiments in space.

The robot, which travelled to the ISS on STS133 Space Shuttle Discovery, has been unpacked and will be powered up in the next few weeks where it will interact with a specially designed task board - containing cables, connectors, plugs and soft goods like bags and cloths for grabbing - so engineers can calibrate and refine the sensing and control systems.

'Mr.' Muscles

Daily tasks such as cleaning dishes or buttoning a shirt are things we all do without thinking, but for R2's engineers, these tasks really interest them. R2 is the most dexterous robots ever built because of very human-like hands. All of the tools and equipment aboard the space station were designed for use by real people and R2 has to be able to perform tasks in the same way that his companions would.

"R2's arms and hands have a jointed skeleton similar to a human," adds Linn, "although the thumbs have four degrees of freedom, almost like a human so we could see the technology adapted and used in medical research." It is widely believed that the opposable thumb was one reason why early humans could develop the ability to use tools so R2's hand was designed to incorporate this capability.

R2's mechanical hands work very much like the human hands on which they were modeled, including a similar range of motion and precise control of both position and force – giving new hope to those designing prosthetic limbs and universities researching human bone and joint disease.

"Unlike many previous humanoid robots, R2 has slim fingers and thumbs resembling those on human hands. Just as human tendons attach muscle to bone, R2 has tendons to connect the skeletal joints to sensors and actuators in the palm. This allows R2's control systems to precisely sense the reaction forces and continuously adjust the grip of the hand for whatever task R2 is performing."

Linn adds: "Polishing a door handle in the kitchen, cleaning a wine glass or screwing on the top of a plastic bottle may seem mundane, but each time you do it you use hundreds of tiny bio-mechanical movements. These combine dexterity of movement with precise manipulation and a certain amount of force for each task – all of which are key issues for robots. Not enough movement and the wine glass from that washing up won't dry, too much force and it will crack and break."

R2 shows off this capability when he shakes hands with visitors to Chevrolet's Technical Center in Michigan – No matter what size hand or the firmness of the grip, R2 automatically adjusts.

"Chevrolet has more robots in manufacturing facilities than any company in the world, operating across a number of roles from logistics to assembly," says Linn, "so we've been able to invest some of our best and brightest minds to the creation of R2."

"Working with NASA's scientists and engineers we are confident we have created the most technologically advanced robot in the world offering us flexibility in future manufacturing in the workplace and real world benefits elsewhere."

"It may be like teaching a child how to button a shirt and remember the steps as we teach R2 to carry out hundreds of tasks, but future robots developed from R2 will use hands to grab, hold and do all the things we take for granted."

More hands make lighter work

The link between washing the dishes and space travel is a lot closer than you think. No matter where you live, the cleaning and dusting at home is a thankless mundane task that has to be done week in, week out – even when it's 425 km (264 miles) above the earth and travelling at 27,743.8 km/h (17,239.2 mph).

Not only does it make the place look good, but it removes dust and kills bacteria on work surfaces – vital to the laboratory conditions of the space station where a germ-free environment is critical in the zero gravity pressurized capsule which generates its own oxygen.

"Astronauts spend around 60 per cent of their time on the ISS cleaning everything from hand rails and buttons to glass surfaces, so R2's prime role is to take on their mundane tasks, leaving the team more time to devote to their experiments and more important jobs," adds Linn. "As the program progresses R2 will take on more complex jobs such as repairing the module and over time, will even go on space walks."

Man about the house or wonder woman?

Linn says that although it's a robot, R2 takes on a personality of its own. "Women see R2 as the perfect man, who is good looking and does as he is told, while guys see their perfect partner. In reality R2 is given a personality by each person who meets it – from kids who see a best friend to grandparents."

R2 may only consist of a torso, head and arms and mounted on a pedestal, but it's not just Cathy Coleman who has fallen in love with R2. Hundreds of school children and students who have seen the robot in action as part of NASA's global education program are now, as a direct result, excited and inspired by engineering and science studies.

Fact Box: Top International Space Station facts

For more information about the Robonaut 2 click here.

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About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 4 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine passion, bold design and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2010, Chevrolet grew its market share in Europe to 2.5 percent, selling 477,194 cars. Chevrolet has a network of more than 2,700 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo, the compact four-door Cruze, the Captiva SUV and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet is launching seven new cars: the all-new Orlando family van, the new Captiva SUV, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupé, the all-new five-door and four-door Aveo, the five-door Cruze, the Camaro coupé and convertible and the award-winning extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is celebrating its centenary in 2011. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.