Robots in Space
08 August 2007
Step aside France, Italy and Germany. In the world of robo-soccer, Austria is king. This 21st century form of football is all the rage at the Institute of Robotic Sciences, or Mechatronics, at Vienna’s University of Technology in Austria. However, the mini-robots that are so good at sport also have a much more serious purpose.
Until now, robots intended for use in space have not been given any intelligence. Devices such as the European Robotic Arm are completely dependent on a human controller. In contrast, the mini soccer players are trained to be clever and have several different software levels. The strategy level defines the position and role of a robot - for example, telling it to defend the goal. The next level controls complex movements.
For this reason, the robo-soccer players have been chosen by ESA’s Advanced Concept Team to take part in a Japanese-European project called ‘Furoshiki’. The idea is to spread a huge net between four orbiting satellites in order to produce solar power. Mini-robots will climb across this mesh to fix solar cells in place.
In a zero gravity trial that took place in January 2006, two Roby Junior robots were asked to climb across a “floating” piece of netting. One of the robots performed successfully for 30 seconds, crawling more than two metres. This modest success may one day lead to the creation of smart, robust robots that won’t worry about the hostile environment of space. One thing is sure. The first humans on Mars will not be alone.
