The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has recently introduced a new type of robot capable of standing on two legs like a human, designed to assist in rescue operations.
>>> Video: NASA’s Human-Like Rescue Robot
The rescue robot, named Valkyrie, stands 1.9 meters tall and weighs nearly 130 kilograms, designed to resemble a character from an Iron Man film. Engineers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston stated that Valkyrie was developed and built within nine months.
Robot Valkyrie. (Photo: shelleystortz.blogspot.com)
According to Live Science, the robot is developed for use in assisting victims during natural disasters or unexpected incidents. To test its ability to perform these tasks before practical deployment, the robot will participate in the DARPA Robotics Challenge.
Here, Robot Valkyrie will face real-life scenarios that may arise during disasters or emergencies. Valkyrie’s tasks include driving, clearing debris, lifting and transporting objects, breaking walls to rescue trapped individuals, and other urgent duties as part of rescue operations.
In addition to its capability to intervene in various ground-based emergency situations, the robot is also designed to walk on Mars. Nicolaus Radford, the head of the research team, indicated that there is a strong possibility NASA will send the robot to the Red Planet before astronauts arrive.
These robots will begin preparations to facilitate human exploration of the area. Once astronauts are sent to Mars, the robot will work alongside them to carry out research missions.
Previously, Robonaut was NASA’s first humanoid robot sent to the International Space Station (ISS). However, the research team notes that the technology used to create Valkyrie represents significant advancements.
