Japanese Consortium Projects a Humanoid Robot On the Moon By 2015

JoshuaInNippon writes "A Japanese manufacturing cooperative named Astro-Technology SOHLA announced on April 27th that they are planning to create and send a two-legged humanoid robot to the moon, have it draw the Japanese flag on the surface, and hopefully then get it to return to the Earth, all by the year 2015. The group wants to inspire people, particularly in Japan, about space and generate confidence among SMEs to create low-cost space technology. While the idea may seem far-fetched to some, SOHLA had success in building a small low-cost satellite named Maido-1, which was launched into space aboard a Japanese H-IIA rocket in early 2009. The group also commented that they want to have their future humanoid robot hitch a ride to the moon with a surveying rover that JAXA is building."

Why 2-legged?

[Grishnakh]

Honestly, this push for 2-legged robots seems pretty silly, and the only reason it's done is because they look more like us. A 4-legged or even 6-legged robot would make far more sense. 4 legs are much more stable than 2, and easier to walk on. If pickup up and handling objects is a concern, then 6 legs is a good alternative. Many insects work this way, after all. Praying mantises are a good example: they have six legs, and use the front two for grasping. For extra stability on rough terrain (which certainly describes the moon), the front legs can be dual-purpose, used for both walking about grasping.

Re:Why 2-legged?

[BJ_Covert_Action]

Or, you know, they could just use wheels like other, very successful robotic explorers....Legs are complicated.

Re:Call me naive...

[zero_out]

Japan has an interesting facination with humanoid robots. Their ideal robot is essentially human, and treated as a human in all respects. This includes cost-inefficient recovery of the robot. The whole purpose of this proposed mission is to generate interest in humanoid robotics, so they want to show that a robot can do everything that a person can do. Sending it to the moon and back is just a glamorous way of doing this.

Re:Why 2-legged?

[Monkeedude1212]

Honestly, this push for 2-legged robots seems pretty silly, and the only reason it's done is because they look more like us.

Its not just because they LOOK more like us - you basically demonstrated half the reasons in your post. They move like us, they have to handle the same stresses as us. Agreed - the human form is not the most efficient for gathering materials or effective travelling on harsh ground. However, we can learn what traveling on the ground would be like for a human WITHOUT sending a human, and thats why you would send a humanoid robot.

It's job is to be drawing the Japanese Flag on the moon. Which, in case you haven't noticed, looks a lot like a crater, so its not like the moon isn't already covered in Japanese flags. This mission is not going to be so much about efficient robotics as it is about getting people into the idea of space travel.

Re:Flag planting as proof of ownership or visitati

[bugnuts]

The whole "draw a flag" thing I consider to be the same as vandals tagging walls.

As long as it can only be seen with a really high-power telescope, I guess I don't care a lot. But it's still vandalism, and very distasteful.

Imagine if corporations could simply buy moon advertisements.... We'd be seeing crap like [KRAFT CHEESE] and other crap. The original footprints from the astronauts are still there 50 years later.

Re:Why 2-legged?

[John Hasler]

> Have you ever seen someone try to take a wheeled vehicle on one of the
> hiking trails in the Grand Canyon?

Have you ever seen someone try to take a humanoid robot on one of the
hiking trails in the Grand Canyon?

Baby Steps

[LordBmore]

How about we get a humanoid robot that can successfully walk up and down stairs on earth before we send that bad boy to the moon?

Re:Why 2-legged?

[justin12345]

I think the point is that it's a challenge.