GM, NASA Join Efforts In New Robot Project.

GM, NASA Join Efforts In New Robot Project.

The Detroit Free Press (2/4, Higgins) reports, "After about three years of work," General Motors and NASA were scheduled to show off Thursday "the next generation of an advanced robot that is said to be faster and more dexterous than previous attempts by the agency." The robot "Robonaut2" or R2 "appears in a video to be a sleek humanoid robot and is shown writing, shaking hands and performing tasks, such as lifting weights and picking up an envelope." The automaker and the space company "say the partnership is about creating technologies that will help both the automotive and aerospace industries." For GM, "this is about safer cars and safer" factories, while "NASA wants to build machines that help humans work and explore space."

        USA Today (2/4, Woodyard) reports in its "Drive on" blog that Johnson Space Center director Mike Coats said, "Our challenge today is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space. ... Machines like Robonaut will expand our capability for construction and discovery."

        According to Popular Science (2/4, Fox), R2 is the "cutting edge of android technology." The article noted there is "no word yet on when NASA plans on deploying the Robonaut on an actual mission." FOX News (2/4) cites Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, who said, "I'm very excited about the new opportunities for human and robotic exploration these versatile robots provide across a wide range of applications." The Detroit News (2/5, Snell), and Wired (2/4, Squatriglia) "Autotopia" blog also covered the story.