Japanese-developed robot to join ISS expedition
ROBOMAN Kirobo is one of two humanoid verbal-communication robots developed under the Kibo Robot project
Photo by Toyota
A partnership between vehicle manufacturer Toyota and a number of Japanese companies and research institutions has created a real-world Astro Boy, which will join an expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year.
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Dentsu, the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), the University of Tokyo and Robo Garage will send their jointly developed robot astronaut, called Kirobo, to space on August 4.
The expedition will depart from the Tanegashima Space Centre, in the Kagoshima prefecture, in Japan.
Kirobo is one of two humanoid verbal-communi-cation robots developed under the Kibo Robot project, a joint research project carried out by RCAST, Robo Garage and TMC.
The Japan Aerospace Explor-ation Agency has also provided extensive assistance.
Kirobo weighs a kilogram, stands 34 cm high and can recognise emotion, nod and hold a conversation.
Kirobo’s fellow robot, Mirata, will stay behind and monitor Kirobo.
Apart from sharing Kirobo’s verbal skills, Mirata can accumulate knowledge.
RCAST and Robo Garage worked on the development of the robot hardware and motion generation, TMC was responsible for the voice-recognition function and Dentsu handled the creation of the conversation content, as well as the management of the entire project.
Kirobo and Mirata follow in the footsteps of several Toyota robots created to study personal transport and human dexterity.
Previous Toyota robots have, among other skills, played the trumpet and the violin.
After launch aboard the Kounotori 4, Kirobo will disembark at the ISS and wait for the arrival of Commander Koichi Wakata in November or December this year.
Here the commander and Kirobo are set to take part in the first conversation experi-ment held between a person and a robot in space.
Kirobo will return to earth in December 2014.
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