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These Valkyrie R5 robots will help pave the way for future Mars colonization. <\/p>\n
NASAs Space Robotics Challenge awarded Northeastern University with a $2-million Valkyrie Robonaut 5 (R5) robot, which is now undergoing tests in a Massachusetts warehouse to prepare for the finalist round this June in a virtual simulation of a red-planet landing. <\/p>\n
The robot arrivedat Northeastern in 2015 as part of a proposal that Engineering Professor Taskin Padir sent to NASA for the Space Robotics Challenge software testing, reports Tech Crunch. <\/p>\n
Theyve done all of the hardware and were developing these high-level capabilities so Valkyrie does more than just move limbs, Northeastern PhD student, Murphy Wonsick told Tech Crunch. She can autonomously make decisions, move around, and accomplish tasks. <\/p>\n
Researchers moved the R5 toNERVE (New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation) Center, a large warehouse space operated by UMass Lowell that houses large obstacle courses designed to put test robots and drones through their paces, just outside of Boston. <\/p>\n
On-board vision systems, bipedal locomotion, and navigation in tight spaces are some the criteria being tested at the NERVE research site, according to the same report. <\/p>\n
NASA reportedly produced three other R5 models. One was held in-house, and NASA awarded two as research loans to Northeastern University and nearby MIT, while a fourth was acquired by Scotlands University of Edinburgh. <\/p>\n
According to NASA, in the finalist round, each teams R5 will be challenged with resolving the aftermath of a dust storm that has damaged a Martian habitat. This involves three objectives: aligning a communications dish, repairing a solar array, and fixing a habitat leak. <\/p>\n
The Space Robotics Challenge is part of NASAs Centennial Challenges program set to award $1 million to the team that can developcapabilities of humanoid robot dexterity to better enable them to work alongside and independent of astronauts in preparation for future space exploration. <\/p>\n
NASA announced the 20 finalists in February. <\/p>\n
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Read the original post: Get today's popular DigitalTrends articles in your inbox: Why it matters to you These Valkyrie R5 robots will help pave the way for future Mars colonization. NASAs Space Robotics Challenge awarded Northeastern University with a $2-million Valkyrie Robonaut 5 (R5) robot, which is now undergoing tests in a Massachusetts warehouse to prepare for the finalist round this June in a virtual simulation of a red-planet landing. The robot arrivedat Northeastern in 2015 as part of a proposal that Engineering Professor Taskin Padir sent to NASA for the Space Robotics Challenge software testing, reports Tech Crunch Continue reading
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