Currently, NASA uses small satellites called SPHERES to navigate around the International Space Station. These SPHERES roam around a 6 x 6 x 6 foot cube around the ISS, and they exclusively use sound beacons to triangulate their position and move around. This is all possible thanks to a Nexus S powering each of the three SPHERES currently in operation. However, NASA is looking to upgrade those Nexus devices to something a little more powerful.
Later this year, the phones powering the devices will be upgraded to Project Tango devices, which will make them fully capable of navigation by infrared sensors as opposed to sound based triangulation that’s currently used for the devices. This upgrade will allow the little satellites to move more freely and get out of that 6 x 6 x 6 foot pen that they’re currently stuck in, which will broadly expand how useful they can be. Long term, the goal of these devices is to eventually use them to help astronauts with different missions in space.
While we’re not quite at a completely autonomous, self-thinking level with our devices, this looks like it will be a massive step forward for the robots NASA uses every day.
source: GigaOM
Come comment on this article: Project Tango may give robots the ability to freely navigate the International Space Station
Android Match
Post a Comment