For the first time in the history of robot Canis familiaris and space traveling , a four - legged robodog has been controlled by a human exterior of the Earth ’s aura . Only robots with wheels have been controlled remotely from space before now .
The " Surface Avatar " trial run carried out in January saw European Space Agency ( ESA ) spaceman Marcus Wandt control several different automatic organization on Earth from the International Space Station ( ISS ) , part of a project that eventually aims to give up human commanders to control robots on other worlds like the Moon or Marswhile in orbitaround them .
Wandt controlled a pawl - like golem named Bert created by the German Aerospace Center ( DLR ) . The robot has legs designed to walk on several dissimilar kinds of terrain that may not be approachable with wheels , as well as explore small cave unaccessible to its human co-worker .
ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt was able to sensitively control the robots in DLR’s Mars laboratory from the ISS.Image credit: DLR
" Even between humans , cooperation is complex . accord have to be made and mutual aim understood . This is a particular challenge when different golem have to form a team and successfully complete a task together , " DLR explain in astatement .
" When building a home ground , for example , combining the different skills of several robot is very helpful . In the first experimentation of its kind , DLR ’s humanoid robot Rollin ' Justin and ESA ’s Interact Rover mastered such a task and jointly put in a inadequate pipe representing a scientific measurement twist . "
Controlling a golem you are n’t even on the same planet with is only part of the destination , with the squad hoping that astronauts will one day be able to curb several robots on a delegation , either cause them act semi or in full autonomously as required .
" next stations on the Moon and Mars , including astronaut habitats , will be built and maintained by robots operate under the guidance of spaceman , " explained Alin Albu - Schäffer , Director of the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics . " Our latest control and AI algorithms enable a single spaceman to command an entire squad of unlike robots . "
