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Japan to launch world’s first conversational humanoid robot into space
The tiny talking robot is to be sent to the International Space Station in August to keep a Japanese astronaut company during his six-month mission, according to its developers.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2013, 10:15 AM
TORU HANAI/REUTERS
Humanoid communication robot Kirobo which will become the first conversational roboto to be launched into space is seen during its unveiling in Tokyo, Wednesday.
TOKYO — The world’s first space conversation experiment between a robot and humans is ready to be launched.
Developers from the Kirobo project, named after “kibo” or hope in Japanese and “robot,” gathered in Tokyo Wednesday to demonstrate the humanoid robot’s ability to talk.
“Russia was the first to go outer space, the U.S. was the first to go to the moon, we want Japan to be the first to send a robot-astronaut to space that can communicate with humans,” said Yorichika Nishijima, the Kirobo project manager.
SHIZUO KAMBAYASHI/AP
One of two robots is seen as it moves and talks with Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota Motor Corp.
"As a robot astronaut, I'll do conversation experiments with Commander Wakata in space," Kirobo says in Japanese in an earlier demonstration seen on YouTube.
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The experiment is a collaboration between advertising and PR company Dentsu Inc., the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Robo Garage and Toyota Motor Corp.
SHIZUO KAMBAYASHI/AP
The robot is scheduled to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on August 4 of this year.
Tomotaka Takahashi, CEO of Robo Garage Co. and associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said he hopes robots like Kirobo that hold conversations will eventually be used to assist astronauts working in space.
“When people think of robots in outer space, they tend to seek ones that do things physically,” said Takahashi. “But I think there is something that could come from focusing on humanoid robots that focus on communication.”
Because Kirobo does not need to perform physical activities, it is smaller than most robots that go into space.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The small humanoid robot's purpose will be to provide conversational company for a Japanese astronaut during his six-month mission.
Kirobo is about 34 centimeters tall (13 inches) and weighs about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). Its land-based counterpart Mirata looks almost identical but is not designed to go into outer space.
Instead, it has the ability to learn through the conversations it has.
SHIZUO KAMBAYASHI/AP
In addition to the communicative abilities the robots already have, the developers say they're capable of learning more through conversation.
During the demonstration, Fuminori Kataoka, project general manager from Toyota, asked Kirobo what its dream was.
“I want to create a future where humans and robots can live together and get along,” it answered.
Kirobo is scheduled to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on August 4, 2013.
