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Soon, India’s robonaut to hunt for aliens - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Is there life out there? This is what India wants to find out by joining a global search for alien life forms.
As part of a new project called 'Detection of Life Forms in Other Planets', India will soon build a near human robotic system - a robonaut -- with capability "for analysis and assessment of air, water and soil and detection of possible life forms".
The Department of Atomic Energy's working group for the 12th five year plan says the quest for detection of life forms existing in other planets than earth will be an interesting and challenging project that India will push to become part of.
"It would be worthwhile to explore partnerships with one of the five space agencies for development of suitable software and hardware for the robotic operations in outer space. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has already expressed its interest in joining the International Space Station programme at the International Astronautical Congress," the group said.
The International Space Station is operated as a joint programme by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of US, Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency ( ESA).
According to the department, the operational costs for development of a robonaut "may require considerable investments. The contribution from India for the robotic operations will depend on the tasks assigned and agreed to upon by all the partner nations."
It further says that the costs of development and participation for design, modelling of software and hardware for robotic operations for detection of life forms in outer space and for initial studies, simulation, laboratory trials of critical components is expected to be around Rs 500 crore during the 12th five year plan.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center recently unveiled a gold-helmeted robot Robonaut 2 - the first humanoid robot in space that took over 15 years to create. R2 was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they are astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.
The 300-pound R2 consisted of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands.
"This project exemplifies the promise that a future generation of robots can have both in space and on earth, not as replacements for humans but as companions that can carry out key supporting roles," said John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Integration Office in Washington while unveiling R2.
He added, "The combined potential of humans and robots is a perfect example of the sum equaling more than the parts. It will allow us to go farther and achieve more than we can probably even imagine today."
Experts say in the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants or stand-in for astronauts during spacewalks or for tasks too difficult or dangerous for humans. For now, R2 is still a prototype and does not have adequate protection needed to exist outside the space station in the extreme temperatures of space.
NEW DELHI: Is there life out there? This is what India wants to find out by joining a global search for alien life forms.
As part of a new project called 'Detection of Life Forms in Other Planets', India will soon build a near human robotic system - a robonaut -- with capability "for analysis and assessment of air, water and soil and detection of possible life forms".
The Department of Atomic Energy's working group for the 12th five year plan says the quest for detection of life forms existing in other planets than earth will be an interesting and challenging project that India will push to become part of.
"It would be worthwhile to explore partnerships with one of the five space agencies for development of suitable software and hardware for the robotic operations in outer space. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has already expressed its interest in joining the International Space Station programme at the International Astronautical Congress," the group said.
The International Space Station is operated as a joint programme by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of US, Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency ( ESA).
According to the department, the operational costs for development of a robonaut "may require considerable investments. The contribution from India for the robotic operations will depend on the tasks assigned and agreed to upon by all the partner nations."
It further says that the costs of development and participation for design, modelling of software and hardware for robotic operations for detection of life forms in outer space and for initial studies, simulation, laboratory trials of critical components is expected to be around Rs 500 crore during the 12th five year plan.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center recently unveiled a gold-helmeted robot Robonaut 2 - the first humanoid robot in space that took over 15 years to create. R2 was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they are astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.
The 300-pound R2 consisted of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands.
"This project exemplifies the promise that a future generation of robots can have both in space and on earth, not as replacements for humans but as companions that can carry out key supporting roles," said John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Integration Office in Washington while unveiling R2.
He added, "The combined potential of humans and robots is a perfect example of the sum equaling more than the parts. It will allow us to go farther and achieve more than we can probably even imagine today."
Experts say in the future, the greatest benefits of humanoid robots in space may be as assistants or stand-in for astronauts during spacewalks or for tasks too difficult or dangerous for humans. For now, R2 is still a prototype and does not have adequate protection needed to exist outside the space station in the extreme temperatures of space.
