A few hours ago the space shuttle Discovery took off for its final flight. Among its cargo it carries the Robonaut2 humanoid robot that will be deployed to the ISS. Robonaut 2 or R2 is humanlike in appearance because it was designed to perform similar to human tasks. It has a torso, two 7dof arms with a 12doF hand each and a head where its vision equipment is placed. It can reach and grasp objects and tools and it is also capable of holding and handling soft materials like a cloth or an envelope. Robonaut2 is the latest step of a 15-year-old effort by NASA to develop a humanoid robot that will be able to operate alongside humans in the demanding environment of space. The Robonaut program started in 1997 with the first prototype and GM joined in 2006 to assist the development of the more advanced R2. It will be permanently installed in the Unity node of the International Space Station and during the next months it will be deployed for its first test in the Destiny Laboratory. Initially it will be evaluated and used for teaching engineers how a dexterous robot behaves in space. In the near future it will gradually receive software and hardware updates (possibly a lower body) and it will be engaged in simple or more elaborate tasks.
Robonaut2 Fact Sheet (PDF, 3.4 MB) , NASA Robonaut videos.