NASA Looking to Use Purdue Robots on Moon, Mars

2024-05-13 22:20:44
As we humans expand our reach into space, robots may be doing a lot of the day-to-day work beyond earth’s orbit—tasks like turning screws and opening drawers. Extraterrestrial habitats are part of NASA’s roadmap toward the moon, Mars and beyond; and when these space stations are unmanned, robots will need to handle the maintenance.
With that in mind, a group of scientists are building a system to help robots identify the things around them and attach the tools they need to pick them up or manipulate them.
Researchers at Purdue University have been developing a machine-learning solution that can identify equipment such as a screwdriver, electrical panel or switch—and then manipulate each item with the proper tools.
The Purdue system uses a combination of computer vision, onboard machine learning and QR codes to help the robots conduct work, autonomously or with astronauts. More info here.
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