The United States is going to send a robot, the Robonaut, in to orbit. Undaunted, the Japanese have decided to do the US one better and send an android to conquer the moon. Of course, the robot won’t be making landing on the moon until 2015, but the important thing is they’re going to send a robot astronaut to the moon.
The robonaut, called Maido-kun, is being developed by the Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Associaion, or SOHLA, a consortium of six different companies working closely with JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. While there’s a great deal of difficulty with bipedal locomotion on the moon, SOHLA board member Noriyuki Yoshida isn’t concerned, saying the goal is more about inspiration than exploration. “Humanoid robots are glamorous, and they tend to get people fired up. We hope to develop a charming robot to fulfill the dream of going to space.”
Image: Engadget
Tags: Space Oriented Higashiosaka Leading Association, SOHLA, Japan to send robot into space, Japan, space robot, Maido-kun, Japan to send android to the moon, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA