GM, NASA close to finishing preparations to launch R2 into space

July 8, 2010July 7, 2010 Omar Rana Gadgets, NASA, Robonaut 2

In April, General Motors and NASA announced that they will launch their humanoid robot Robonaut 2, or R2, to space later this year. Well, the days are getting closer and GM and NASA said yesterday that engineers are working hard to prepare the R2 for its planned fall mission to the International Space Station aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

“GM and NASA engineering teams are validating some of the key technologies on the humanoid robot, including advanced sensor and vision systems,” GM said in a statement. “GM engineers on site at NASA”s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, are sharing their results with colleagues at GM”s Technical Center in Warren, Mich., so teams working on tomorrow”s Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac cars and trucks can develop innovative safety technologies that will keep customers safe in the future.”

Engineers in GM’s R&D team also plan on using the findings to help develop future innovations that can make plants safer for workers at GM”s global manufacturing facilities.