It was not quite as memorable as “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as uttered by Neil Armstrong in 1969. But the matter-of-fact statement was thrilling for the creators of a new breed of astronaut sent into space this summer: “On August 21 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all.”
Kirobo – a combination of the Japanese words for “hope” and “robot” – is a machine with a difference: not only does it provide technical assistance, it is also designed to provide companionship to human astronauts who spend months working in space.
“I believe robots will be the next smartphone just like Google believes Google Glass will be the next smartphone,” says Kirobo’s creator, Tomotaka Takahashi, referring to the efforts made to enable the machine to hold basic conversations.
Kirobo was last month joined by Koichi Wakata, a Japanese astronaut, having travelled ahead to the International Space Station in an unmanned rocket which blasted off from a Japanese island this year.
Mr Takahashi, a robotics engineer at Tokyo university, was inspired by the manga character Astro Boy, a classic cartoon robot, and worked on the project in collaboration with Toyota and Dentsu, an advertising firm.
Kirobo has been programmed to communicate in Japanese and recognise voices and faces. He is capable of holding a conversation and improvising basic responses. On the more practical side, he is there to act as an observer and recorder, and can relay instructions verbally to Mr Wakata sent from earth. But despite the attention the project received and the high level of Japanese robotics expertise, other manufacturers are unlikely to follow suit, say those working in the industry.
“They don’t recognise space robotics as a big area for the business,” says Hiroki Kato, an engineer at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). He says projects such as Kirobo make great PR – the little space companion generated headlines worldwide – but are not the basis for a sustained commercial programme unless they could earn their keep by performing a wide range of tasks.
Jaxa has created prototype robots sent into orbit on several missions for tasks such as refuelling and maintenance but is not currently working on a humanoid robot, although it has not ruled that prospect out. The US regards itself as leading the field.
“Japan has significant experience with its advanced robotics but only Robonaut [the first humanoid robot in space] has worked side by side with astronauts performing tasks that currently only humans perform,” says Ron Diftler, manager of the Robonaut project at Nasa.
Japanese roboticists have sometimes come under fire for making machines that entertain rather than pursuing serious engineering projects.
Honda’s Asimo robot, the “world’s most advanced humanoid robot” according to the carmaker, can walk like a human and is the size of a small adult. But it has usually made headlines for conducting’ symphony orchestras, performing dances and greeting royalty.
The March 2011 tsunami and subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster was a wake-up call. The event ought to have been an opportunity for roboticists to show what their technology could do, given the dangers for humans during the clean-up operation at the stricken power plant.
But few robots were capable of responding to the nuclear accident, a situation that has since encouraged many to focus on developing robots that can perform rescue operations.
After Fukushima, space is no longer regarded as a priority for Japanese roboticists – but some believe robot astronauts will eventually come into their own.
Technology used in Honda’s Asimo and other robots can easily be applied to machines created with space missions in mind, says Mr Kato. But for those that decide to go down this path profits may not materialise for 50 years, he predicts.
“Interest in space robots is growing more quickly now than 10 years ago,” says Mr Diftler. “The space station is a very busy place and having an extra set of hands, in this case robot hands that can handle maintenance tasks, frees up the crew for more science.”
Mr Takahashi argues the good publicity is enough at this stage. “A lot of people are interested in this project, and that’s the important thing.”