NASA's Newest Robot is Part Ape, Part Machine
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
A disaster-response robot for here on Earth.
After devastating natural disasters, some situations are simply too dangerous for humans. Enter the RoboSimian.
That's the name of NASA's new ape-like robot. Originally designed and built for the DARPA robotics challenge, it uses limbs instead of wheels to move around.
Scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were inspired by the use of robotics after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, where robots were used to enter spaces unsafe for humans.
With seven joints, seven independent motors and as much torque as an F-150 truck, RoboSimian packs a lot of power. It also features sensors on the ends of its limbs, letting the robot to feel the terrain as it moves along. These sensitive limbs allow RoboSimian to climb ladders, drive cars and even manipulate human tools.
"We have the capability of moving around by Braille," said Brett Kennedy, RoboSimian's principal investigator at NASA JPL.
Check out the robot in action in the video below, from NASA: