Once upon a time the U.S. had space leadership. Now there are many players in the galaxy.
After 18 months on board the International Space Station, humanoid communication robot Kirobo returned to Earth as a passenger on SpaceX’s CRS-5 Dragon cargo supply spacecraft, which successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean earlier today.
Standing only 34 centimeters tall and weighing around a kilogram, Kirobo the pint-sized android astronaut is said to be an important first step toward understanding how humans and robots might interact in space in the future.
The project is the result of collaboration between:
• Tokyo-based communications firm Dentsu Inc.
• The University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST)
• Kyoto-based Robo Garage Co., Ltd.
• Toyota Motor Corporation
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
RCAST and Robo Garage worked on hardware and body movement, with Toyota providing voice-recognition technology and Dentsu handling conversation content as well as overall project management.
The Kibo Robot Project was announced in November 2012, and Kirobo was introduced along with fellow communications robot and ground crew member Mirata at a press conference in Tokyo in June 2013. The project partners engaged in exhaustive testing to prove that a robot would have the “right stuff” for the job.
Kirobo’s inorganic nature required fourteen mission-specific tests, including a range of thermal, acoustic and electromagnetic analyses and zero gravity simulations. For a comprehensive look at the process of determining whether Kirobo would make the grade, visit http://kibo-robo.jp/en/story/ (videos in Japanese with optional subtitles). Early in the morning on August 4, 2013, in front of a cheering crowd, the Kounotori 4 cargo transfer vehicle carrying Kirobo blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.
Kirobo became the first robot to speak in outer space, declaring, “On August 21, 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all.” In December, Kirobo and astronaut Koichi Wakata, the first-ever Japanese commander of the ISS, took part in the world’s first conversation between a robot and a human in outer space.
Commander Wakata’s expedition on board the ISS came to an end in May 2014, and—bidding an emotional farewell to one another—the two pledged to meet up again on Earth to share their memories. In August of the same year, Kirobo delivered his final message from space, thanking the people of Earth for watching over him. Kirobo was deactivated and readied for the return to Earth.
