AI robot to join astronauts in space

Thanks to technology, humans won’t be the only ones to go to the space, as soon an Artificial Intelligence (AI) robot will accompany them too this time.

Scheduled to be launched today aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) will soon get a new friend named CIMON (Crew Interactive MObile CompanioN), the bot that is actually an AI-based assistant for astronauts.

CIMON has been developed by Airbus and will use IBM’s Watson AI technology for assisting astronauts with their daily routines along with warning of any impending problems. Researchers believe that with its voice, face and artificial intelligence, CIMON will become a genuine ‘colleague’ on board.

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As CNET describes, weighing 5kg, CIMON the bot is shaped like a ball with a screen having a friendly cartoon face. With zero gravity in space, CIMON floats and moves around with the help of its 14 internal fans.

English-speaking CIMON is an attempt to discover if astronauts and robots can collaborate. It is equipped with cameras and microphones so that it can recognize the astronauts it will work with. Set to arrive ISS by Monday, July 2, CIMON will come back to Earth on December 31, wrote BBC News.

CIMON will mainly work with German astronaut Alexander Gerst, whom he will help conduct experiments. Airbus explained that the robot will work with Gerst on three tasks during the mission where he will provide verbal instructions. The duo will together work with crystals, solving Rubik’s cube, and performing a complex medical experiment where CIMON will act as an intelligent flying camera.

IBM engineer and one of the robot’s lead architects, Matthias Biniok said, “What we’re trying to do with CIMON is to increase the efficiency of the astronaut. Right now our main mission is to support the astronauts with their daily tasks to save time, because time is the most valuable and most expensive thing on the ISS.”