Oct 30 2010
The Discovery shuttle carrying Robonaut2 or R2 is all set to be released into outer space on November 1 to help astronauts working at the International Space Station (ISS). This humanoid was developed by the joint effort of NASA and General Motors at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which was instigated in 2007. R2 features innovative vision and sensor technologies as well as high-end control systems.
Robonaut2 Humanoid
Alan Taub, VP of Global Research and Development of General Motors, has stated that one of the major missions of their company is to dominate the market in terms of superior quality and technology. He added that their collaboration with NASA and the building of R2 have profoundly offered high-end technologies, which will enable them to accomplish their goals in their upcoming products as well as in plants.
By developing R2, the GM researchers are sharing their rich learning experience worldwide so that groups researching on future vehicles can have access to the recent innovations. For instance, the superior abilities of the sensor system can help GM to develop novel security systems for future vehicles. Present collision avoidance systems work on sensor technologies such as adjustable cruise control, lane divergence warning, and back parking assistance. Also, the robotic hands of R2 can be deployed in production environments.
Other than R2, GM has supported Apollo missions in 1960 by developing navigation systems, and the company had played a significant role in building Lunar Rover Vehicle, which is the first rover to be utilized on the moon.
Source: http://www.gm.com