May 12th 06, 04:53 PM
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1101
Limber Robot Might Hitchhike to Space
May 11, 2006
Media contact:
Natalie Godwin (818) 354-0850
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Lemurs, those wide-eyed, active, monkey-like animals running around the
island in the movie "Madagascar," are known for their ability to leap.
A
robotic lemur being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory moves
more slowly, but might someday take its own giant leap - by going into
space with astronauts.
"Lemur," short for the Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot, was
originally conceived to help maintain future spacecraft and space
stations. It weighs in at just 26 pounds (12 kilograms) and is small
enough to hitch a ride on the space shuttle or NASA's planned crew
exploration vehicle.
"Lemur could be an astronaut's pet monkey," says JPL engineer Brett
Kennedy, principal investigator for the robotic project. "It can
perform
tasks that are too small for astronauts to do easily. It's built to get
into the nooks and crannies of a structure."
To make Lemur flexible and versatile, Kennedy and his team combined the
body styles and abilities of an octopus, a crab and a primate into a
six-limbed robot with Swiss army knife tendencies. Attachable tools fit
onto each limb and perform a variety of functions. Lemur can support
itself evenly on three legs while two other limbs are freed up to work.
And the sixth limb? "It's a bonus, and besides, five limbs would look
funny," Kennedy says.
Since there's no gravity in space, Lemur could work upside down, as
long
as one limb is anchored. Astronauts could instruct Lemur to perform
simple fixes inside or outside a spacecraft, eliminating the need for a
human spacewalk.
Lemur's circular body enables it to move in any direction. Its "eyes,"
two stereo cameras on a circular track mounted on top, can swivel
freely, which means the base of the robot doesn't have to rotate. "It
saves time, because we can turn the cameras in the direction we want to
move and then go," explains Kennedy. Lemur also has a palm-sized camera
that doubles as a microscope.
In JPL test labs, Lemur has already learned some impressive tricks. For
example, one limb has fastened a screw into a structure, with another
limb shining a flashlight on the operation. In one experiment,
engineers
attached an ink pen to one of Lemur's limbs and developed a set of
computer programs to teach the robot how to write its name.
With all its gadgetry and talents, Lemur might have a bright future not
only as an assistant astronaut, but also as a Martian rock climber.
Lemur could scamper up much steeper hills and cliffs than the Spirit
and
Opportunity rovers that are currently wheeling around on Mars. "We
built
Lemur with limbs so it can use both arms and legs just as a biological
primate would," Kennedy said.
Kennedy and his colleagues hope Lemur and its sibling, Lemur IIb, will
be ready to make the leap to space travel within the next decade. At
that point, back on Earth, Kennedy and his colleagues will also be
leaping - for joy.
Limber Robot Might Hitchhike to Space
May 11, 2006
Media contact:
Natalie Godwin (818) 354-0850
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Lemurs, those wide-eyed, active, monkey-like animals running around the
island in the movie "Madagascar," are known for their ability to leap.
A
robotic lemur being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory moves
more slowly, but might someday take its own giant leap - by going into
space with astronauts.
"Lemur," short for the Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot, was
originally conceived to help maintain future spacecraft and space
stations. It weighs in at just 26 pounds (12 kilograms) and is small
enough to hitch a ride on the space shuttle or NASA's planned crew
exploration vehicle.
"Lemur could be an astronaut's pet monkey," says JPL engineer Brett
Kennedy, principal investigator for the robotic project. "It can
perform
tasks that are too small for astronauts to do easily. It's built to get
into the nooks and crannies of a structure."
To make Lemur flexible and versatile, Kennedy and his team combined the
body styles and abilities of an octopus, a crab and a primate into a
six-limbed robot with Swiss army knife tendencies. Attachable tools fit
onto each limb and perform a variety of functions. Lemur can support
itself evenly on three legs while two other limbs are freed up to work.
And the sixth limb? "It's a bonus, and besides, five limbs would look
funny," Kennedy says.
Since there's no gravity in space, Lemur could work upside down, as
long
as one limb is anchored. Astronauts could instruct Lemur to perform
simple fixes inside or outside a spacecraft, eliminating the need for a
human spacewalk.
Lemur's circular body enables it to move in any direction. Its "eyes,"
two stereo cameras on a circular track mounted on top, can swivel
freely, which means the base of the robot doesn't have to rotate. "It
saves time, because we can turn the cameras in the direction we want to
move and then go," explains Kennedy. Lemur also has a palm-sized camera
that doubles as a microscope.
In JPL test labs, Lemur has already learned some impressive tricks. For
example, one limb has fastened a screw into a structure, with another
limb shining a flashlight on the operation. In one experiment,
engineers
attached an ink pen to one of Lemur's limbs and developed a set of
computer programs to teach the robot how to write its name.
With all its gadgetry and talents, Lemur might have a bright future not
only as an assistant astronaut, but also as a Martian rock climber.
Lemur could scamper up much steeper hills and cliffs than the Spirit
and
Opportunity rovers that are currently wheeling around on Mars. "We
built
Lemur with limbs so it can use both arms and legs just as a biological
primate would," Kennedy said.
Kennedy and his colleagues hope Lemur and its sibling, Lemur IIb, will
be ready to make the leap to space travel within the next decade. At
that point, back on Earth, Kennedy and his colleagues will also be
leaping - for joy.