American Humans Might Find Out that Robots are Coming
Just as the Obama administration ditches NASA plans to return to the moon, a group in
Japan is vowing to send humanoid robots there by 2015. Call it a giant leap for droidkind.
The Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association (SOHLA), a satellite-manufacturing
consortium in the Osaka area, has vowed to put bipedal humanoid bots on the moon in the
next five years, according to a Jiji Press report. SOHLA is now developing a prototype
astro-bot called "Maido-kun" that it hopes will follow in the steps of Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin (minus the "Dancing with the Stars" part).
Line in the sand: Japan's SOHLA group seems to want to send robots to the moon to record
astronomical observations--and draw pretty pictures.
(Credit: SOHLA)
The robot will be smaller than a person and, if it makes it onto the moon, may do things like
record astronomical observations and take geological surveys (and maybe do a bit of robot
moonwalking).
Development costs for Maido-kun are estimated at $10.6 million, but the idea is being
floated in part as an economic stimulus project for small and midsize tech firms in the
Osaka region.
SOHLA has already worked with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
In 2009, it launched the Maido 1 weather observation microsatellite aboard a JAXA HII-A
rocket. SOHLA wants its robot to hitch a ride on a JAXA rocket bound for the moon in five
years.
"Humanoid robots are glamorous, and they tend to get people fired up," SOHLA board
member Noriyuki Yoshida was quoted as saying by Pink Tentacle. "We hope to develop a
charming robot to fulfill the dream of going to space."
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of
Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade.
E-mail Tim.
Next
Just as the Obama administration ditches NASA plans to return to the moon, a group in
Japan is vowing to send humanoid robots there by 2015. Call it a giant leap for droidkind.
The Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association (SOHLA), a satellite-manufacturing
consortium in the Osaka area, has vowed to put bipedal humanoid bots on the moon in the
next five years, according to a Jiji Press report. SOHLA is now developing a prototype
astro-bot called "Maido-kun" that it hopes will follow in the steps of Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin (minus the "Dancing with the Stars" part).
Line in the sand: Japan's SOHLA group seems to want to send robots to the moon to record
astronomical observations--and draw pretty pictures.
(Credit: SOHLA)
The robot will be smaller than a person and, if it makes it onto the moon, may do things like
record astronomical observations and take geological surveys (and maybe do a bit of robot
moonwalking).
Development costs for Maido-kun are estimated at $10.6 million, but the idea is being
floated in part as an economic stimulus project for small and midsize tech firms in the
Osaka region.
SOHLA has already worked with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
In 2009, it launched the Maido 1 weather observation microsatellite aboard a JAXA HII-A
rocket. SOHLA wants its robot to hitch a ride on a JAXA rocket bound for the moon in five
years.
"Humanoid robots are glamorous, and they tend to get people fired up," SOHLA board
member Noriyuki Yoshida was quoted as saying by Pink Tentacle. "We hope to develop a
charming robot to fulfill the dream of going to space."
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of
Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade.
E-mail Tim.
Next
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Teaching Robots How to Act Like a Human