Valkyrie, NASA's Human Robot Operating Risky Tasks In Space

JAKARTA - NASA's Valkyrie human robot with a height of 6 feet 2 inches (188 centimeters) and a weight of 300 pounds (136 kilograms), is an impressive figure. Valkyrie, named after a female figure in Norse mythology and is being tested at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is designed to operate in "defracated or degraded human-made environments," such as areas affected by natural disasters.

However, such robots can also one day operate in space. A human robot resembles humans, generally with a body, head, two arms, and two legs. Engineers believe that with the right software, human robots will eventually be able to function similarly to humans and use the same tools and equipment.

NASA's Expert Robotics Team leader, Shaun Azimi, said that human robots in space can ultimately handle risky tasks such as cleaning solar panels or checking problematic equipment outside of spacecraft so astronauts can prioritize exploration and discovery.

"We're not trying to replace human crew, we're really just trying to take on a boring, dirty and dangerous job from their job of allowing them to focus on higher-level activities," Azimi said.

NASA is working with robotics companies like Austin-based Apptronics, Texas, to understand how human robots developed for future purposes on Earth can benefit future human robots aimed at space.

Apptronics are developing Apollo, a human robot whose duties on Earth include working in warehouses and manufacturing factories by moving packages, piling up pallets, and other task-related supply chains. The company plans to start providing this human robot to the company in early 2025.

Apptronic CTO, Nick Paine, says that Apollo has a clear advantage over its human counterparts, especially endurance.

"We are targeting to have this system online for 22 hours a day," Paine said. "It has exchangeable batteries, so you can work for four hours, swap batteries, and then proceed for a very fast duration," he added.

Apptronic CEO Jeff Cardenas said the sky was the limit as software and development improved Apollo capabilities.

"The approach is that we start in the warehouse and on the factory floor, but then we can move to retail... to delivery and more into what we call structureless space," Cardenas said.

According to Azimi, in the years to come, the space without such a structure could cover outer space.

"Robots like Apollo are designed with modularity as a consideration to be able to adapt to many applications," Azimi said. "And that's where NASA is really trying to gain that insight to see what the main gap is, where we need to invest in the future to bring the system on Earth into the space environment and be certified to operate there."