To develop robotic surgery in space, NASA will send the Mira robot for experiments aboard the International Space Station. The device has already conducted operations on Earth. Presentation.
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[EN VIDÉO] Can a medical robot operate on the spine? The robot surgeon Rosa has been accompanying neurosurgeons during brain operations for several years. It has been adapted to another medical field: back surgery, specifically the spine.
One of the difficulties that astronauts have to face, and which will become a big problem for long space trips in the future, for example to Mars, is access to medical care. Because of this, NASA plans to send a robotic surgeon aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Virtual Incision, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln startup, has just received a $100,000 budget to prepare its Mira robot for a sojourn in space. The company has been working on this robot for almost 20 years. Mira consists of two articulated arms, each with a small clamp at the end, and has been used by surgeons for colectomy.
When will the robot be installed?
However, the robot will not operate on the astronauts. He has to cut rubber bands and move rings with movements modeled on those used in surgery. The aim of this project is to be able to test the device without the force of gravity. “We expect the robot to behave differently in space,” said Shane Farritor, co-founder of Virtual Incision. Any force or play in the joints will result in inaccuracies in zero gravity.”
Discover the surgeon Mira in this presentation video. © Virtual editing
The researchers must ensure that the robot is strong enough to survive the launch. They also need to program the robot to run the tests autonomously to limit the use of the ISS’s bandwidth, as well as the time the astronauts have to spend doing it. Usually they just have to turn it on and turn it off again two hours later.
NASA plans to send the robot to the ISS in 2024. This is a long-term project as Shane Farritor doesn’t anticipate being able to operate autonomously for 50 years or more. 100 years.
Rheem, a Robocop in Dubai This is Rheem, a wheeled humanoid developed by Pal Robotics. Rheem – 1.70 meters tall for 100 kilos of electronic, mechanical and plastic parts – was the first robot hired by the police! That was in May 2017 in Dubai. So he admittedly doesn’t quite have the profile of Robocop and rather does local policing, first helping and informing tourists in the malls. © Pal Robotics
Romeo, a robot that listens to and serves the elderly Here is Romeo, another member of Pepper’s family. From a height of 1.40 meters, the humanoid robot is developed to help older people or people with a loss of autonomy. © Softbank Robotics
Motobot, soon to be a motorcycle champion Introduced in 2015, Motobot returned in 2017 in an optimized version, without training wheels for corners and with a speed of 228 km/h. Yamaha’s humanoid robot hasn’t (yet) managed to beat Grand Prix World Champion Valentino Rossi, whom it measured against (1’57.504 vs. 1’25.740), but that’s only a matter of time. © Yamaha
Pepper, a humanoid that sells well At 1.20 meters tall, Pepper is a very popular robot. It was designed in 2012 and is now mass-produced and sold worldwide. The humanoid is very available and well-mannered and always tries to answer your questions as much as possible. For years to come, Pepper will surely have equally friendly brothers and sisters who can do a little housework and walk around on their feet. © Softbank Robotics
Valkyrie, space explorer of the future The R5 or Valkyrie robot was developed by engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He is 1.88 meters tall and weighs around 140 kilograms. Originally designed to respond to disasters, R5 could become the first humanoid robot to explore the solar system and beyond. © Nasa, Bill Stafford, James Blair, Regan Geeseman
Murata Boy and Girl Thanks to gyroscopic sensors, Murata Boy and Girl can perform some pretty incredible balance tricks. While Murata Boy rides a bike, Murata Girl can ride curvy paths (even a one-inch wide beam). When they encounter a person, they alert their ultrasonic sensors. You will then fall asleep automatically. © Murata
Qrio “Quest for cuRIOsity”, search for cuRIOsity in French, this robot is a prototype developed by Sony between 2003 and January 2006. This small, 58 centimeter tall robot can recognize voice and face. He can hold a conversation as long as you speak English or Japanese. He can sing too! It localizes objects in space with its stereoscopic vision. He climbs stairs, walks on difficult floors (inclined or unclear) © Sony
Asimo Asimo is a humanoid robot developed by Honda. Its name means “Advanced Step in Innovative MObility”. We pronounce “ashimo” (reminiscent of Asimov), which means “legs too” in Japanese. This robot is not intended for marketing as it is a search robot, but big companies like IBM have monopolized it to make it a host. In the future, Asimo can help older people or take on tasks that are dangerous for people. © Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License
Albert Hubo A direct competitor of Asimo or Qrio, Hubo is less advanced than the latter two, but has the great advantage of having only cost a million dollars in investment, versus 300 for the development of Asimo. Albert Hubo is an enhanced version of Hubo (wearing Albert Einstein’s mask). Thirty-one servomotors allow him to express different emotions. © Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License
Wakamaru This small yellow humanoid robot is 1 meter high and 30 centimeters wide. The robot recognizes the face and voice of its owner. Equipped with a mobile phone, he can call in an emergency (e.g. if his master has had an accident). He follows his master’s daily routine. © Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License
Nao Nao is 100% French. Their use is not yet defined. He could be used as a companion robot in the future, this playmate looks weird like Aibo but is more human. And for good reason, it superseded it as the default RoboCup platform in 2007. ©DR
Robovie-R Robovie (version 3) is a small humanoid robot designed to help people with disabilities or the elderly. It’s a commercial model, but watch your wallet. Right now it costs $41 million. © Vstone
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