NASA unveils latest robot - Local Group - Astronomy

NASA and GM extend their dexterous, robotic hands to the future! NASA photo

Given that we have no flying cars, laser guns, or even time machines (1985-era technology!), it’s easy to forget sometimes that we’re living in the future. But, once again, NASA’s done its job and reminded us just what century we live in.

On Thursday, NASA announced the next iteration of its brand of robots, built and designed with cooperation from GM. Their press release doesn’t focus merely on the fact that we now have reasonably sophisticated humanoid robots that can use their hands; it also emphasizes how advanced this new type of robot is over older models.

“Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexterous, and more technologically advanced robot,” the press release declares. Even the name seems designed to evoke sci-fi, futuristic images of cute, snarky robots.

The rest of the announcement raves about how well R2 can work alongside people or on missions too dangerous for humans. “This new-generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines,” the release gushes. Just what kinds of work this may be everyone seems reticent to share, beyond vague mentions of assisting astronauts and helping GM build safer cars.

Safety actually comes up a lot, presumably to reassure us of both the necessity of these tough robots and the relative unlikelihood of their turning into evil, terminating machines. Of course, the original Robonaut’s been around 10 years or so, and there’s been no uprising so far.

So, when you’re despondent about how we haven’t been to the Moon in almost 40 years (and are unlikely to return for at least another 20), or you wish that Mr. Fusion would hurry up and get himself invented, remember R2. If nothing else, NASA does try hard to make some of our science-fiction dreams come true, even if they’re not our top choices.

What do you think of R2? An awesome development and good news for science? Or, meh, another robot?

It's nice to see them trying with advanced robotics and AI, but it will be some time before robots and other automatons reach a level of sophistication where they will replace people entirely, for good. In any case, they will be of great use in assisting us with various tasks and projects. What will be the heyday for robots is when quantum processor driven AI and nanotechnology become widely available and advanced to the point where synthetic neurocircuitry and sensory systems can be grown to spec, for whatever tasks is needed to be performed. This is also where the use of quasicrystalline metamaterials will come to the fore. Given another 10-50 years, and we'll see quite large strides made in these areas, so I don't think the days of R2D2 and C3PO are all that far away...or even the robots out of I-Robot for that matter.

In the meantime, if we don't go back to the Moon for another 20 years or more...and even onto Mars shortly afterwards, then it will be nothing more than a completely lack of political will and financial mismanagement that will prevent us from doing so. That, and an even greater erosion of our collective will to actually strive to become better than we are, than what has already occurred within our society. We have lost the plot...we could be doing so much better than what we are now. We have the capability, now, to do so. It seems we just don't want to, or don't care to do it.