VIDEO: VALKYRIE – NASA'S SUPER-HUMANOID SPACE ROBOT

NASA's 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 final round, coming this June, in a virtual simulation of a red-planet landing.

The Valkyrie R5 robot is truly one of the most amazing creations of NASA, they want the robot to go to Mars to do all the hard work for the astronauts that are set to go and live on the red planet. Valkyrie features a simplified humanoid hand, with 3 fingers and a thumb. Each of the robot's forearms consists of a single rotary actuator, which enables the wrists to roll like humans, a pair of linear actuators, and a 6 finger and thumb actuator. The hands are attached to the end of the arm with mechanical and electrical quick disconnects that allow for easy shipping and service.

The robot's torso features two series elastic rotary actuators, two series elastic linear actuators that work in concert to realise motion between the torso and pelvis, and various computer and power facilities. The pelvis of the Valkyrie robot houses three series elastic rotary actuators: the waist rotation joint, and the hip rotation join of each leg. The pelvis is considered the robot's base frame.

You can learn more about the Valkyrie Robonaut 5 (R5) robot by watching the video below.