It’s what we’ll be wearing in the future.
ㆍJapan startup ‘Gitai’ is developing robots to explore the moon and build future bases.
ㆍBy utilizing AI-powered robotic arms, humans can adapt to the moon.
ㆍIn space, humanoid or wearable robots become part of the human body.
Centaur rover
It has two arms and four legs. It’s a mobile rover called ‘R1’, designed to explore the lunar surface. The Rover is inspired by the mythical creatures known as centaurs, which were half-human, half-horse. Gitai has created a robot that can move on four wheels and perform various tasks like mining, building, and repairing on the lunar surface. The robot’s capabilities have been tested in simulations that replicate the lunar environment, and the results of the test correspond to NASA’s Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3.
1. R1 has wheels that can move in any direction, giving it excellent locomotion. In our tests, it was able to navigate over rocks several centimeters high and avoid obstacles.
2. It can climb up and down high places freely. It climbed sand dunes with a slope of 15 to 20 degrees.
3. Unlike other rovers, R1 has two arms like a human. This allows it to assemble equipment and even remove solar panels and antennas from containers, transport them to their destination, and assemble them.
4. It was demonstrated how to extract resources and store materials by digging into simulated lunar soil.
Super arms can do it!
When will we see R1 on the lunar surface? Gitai plans to launch a rover to the moon in 2025 to begin full-scale lunar exploration. However, in January, Gitai successfully sent an autonomous robotic arm named S2 to the International Space Station (ISS). S2 was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and docked with the ISS via a Signus radio cargo ship. And they have completed a fully successful technology demonstration outside the International Space Station.
State-of-the-art robotic arms are now equipped with autonomous operating systems that rely on AI. This means that the arm is capable of moving automatically using image and mechanical sensors, without requiring direct human control. These sensors include a hand camera and fiducial markers(circuit pattern recognition markers). Additionally, ‘grapple end-effectors’ have been incorporated at each end of the arm, which enable the robot to perform a variety of tasks with precision. These tasks include docking spacecraft, manipulating payloads, performing inspections, making repairs, attaching solar panels, and assembling structures.
Which robot would you like to wear?
At this point, you might be wondering. By the time we live in space, we’ll be faced with the choice of whether to board Gitai’s R1 or attach an S2 to our arm. This decision will become a reality. Gitai’s ultimate goal is to create a robotic workforce that can build human bases on the moon, Mars, and in orbit. Robotic workers will play a crucial role in NASA’s plan to permanently relocate humanity off Earth. Wearable robots have been developed which allow us to walk comfortably on the barren lunar surface, and robots now have energy storage capabilities to help us survive the cold, long nights on the moon. These robots are not just taking over our labor, they are providing us with the resources we require to survive. We must learn to work alongside them and even develop a fondness for them. It’s not just a matter of relying on robots; it’s about falling in love with them. From rover to lover!
