Repairs to the exterior of spacecraft and orbital stations are one of the most painful and risky tasks astronauts have to deal with. Now, NASA is finalizing the development of a new generation of assistant robots called LEMUR II – an acronym for Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot – that will be in charge of carrying out some of the most delicate maintenance tasks.
These vaguely spider-shaped machines can move autonomously and inspect themselves for possible breakdowns using two stereo cameras that give them a 360-degree viewing angle . In addition, they are equipped with a super-bright light emitting diode capable of illuminating the area around them and their articulated limbs have anchor points for astronauts to place tools. Thus, it is not surprising that in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the US space agency, where they are being fine-tuned, they are already considered a kind of multipurpose space knife. Some versions of these devices, such as the LEMUR IIa , can even be used to build 0-gravity structures, such as an orbital telescope. The LEMUR IIb , meanwhile, has been designed to sneak through cracks in the surface of a planet, climb over slopes and cliffs, pierce rocks with a sonic drill and take samples.
Abraham Alonso
