Robonauts
From: Boston Globe - 01/09/2006 - P. C1
By: Carolyn Y. Johnson

NASA made Rodney Brooks' vision of exploring space with small, inexpensive
machines a reality when it dispatched the Sojourner probe to explore Mars in
1997. Since then, Brooks, the director of the Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, has shelved his original concept robot
Genghis, and has developed sophisticated machines with a variety of human
capabilities with the goal of elevating the status of robots to legitimate
human partners. "The last thing we were tasked by NASA is: How can robots
support manned missions on the moon and Mars before people get there, while
they are up there, and after they've left?" said Brooks. "The danger is
sticking with the mind-set that developed in the 1960s of 'what robots do'
and 'what humans do.'" Both robots and humans have advantages in exploring
space, with risk being one of the key factors, as there is no emotional toll
if a craft carrying a robot explodes. Robotic exploration initiatives are
also less expensive than manned missions, though robots are still a long way
from rivaling human intelligence. The rover program has been an overwhelming
success, though it must be noted that the robotic craft had the support of a
ground crew of 50 people. Robots will be most effective if scientists work
with them collaboratively, treating the robots as a mobile lab. NASA has
challenged private industry with two competitions to develop robots capable
of assembling structures with minimal human assistance and navigating a
flight path to alight and take samples on the surface. The advancement of
robots will not be confined to space exploration, of course. As their
interaction with humans improves, robots will eventually be deployed in
hospitals and as personal assistants. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2006/01/09/robonauts/

