First ISS-To-Earth 'Handshake' Demonstrates Space-to-Ground Remote Control 21
Zothecula writes: NASA astronaut Terry Virts, aboard the International Space Station, and ESA telerobotics specialist André Schiele, in the Netherlands, made space history this week with the first telerobotic "handshake" between space and Earth. Using special force feedback joysticks that acquire force data and create the sensation of pressure, Virts and Schiele brought the agencies closer to allowing astronauts in remote locations to naturally and safely control robotic devices and perform potentially dangerous or otherwise impossible tasks.
Re: (Score:2)
You mean like when you want a hug or are needing satisfied in certain ways?
I would say this is just a demonstration of precision and control capabilities and not directly mean for human to human interactions. Imagine a repair needing to be made in a remote location to lets say the space station. Suppose something struck part of it and has disabled the airlocks and boarding docks. You cannot get anything out there to see the extent of the damage but know you can unbolt it and replace it if you could. It's ha
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What makes you think that? There is space debris smaller than a pebble that could damage things without any of that. A micrometeorite strafing the docking port could damage it to the point of inoperable status without ever piercing the walls or decompressing it.
Besides, it was just a freaking example of a potential real life use. It doesn't matter if 10,000 other things are likely to happen, if the one outlined scenario happens, that could be a use.
Wow (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
This was a test of haptic telerobotics from orbit. It is being tested from Earth orbit because IT'S A TEST. It would suck to get to Mars before finding problems that only show up under certain conditions that we could have found closer to home.
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Well, the universe is billions of light years across, what do you think you can accomplish by sending a few middle-aged test pilots in a tin can in low Earth orbit?
99% of the knowledge you have about space came from ground-based observations...
potentially dangerous or otherwise impossible task (Score:1)
Like sending people to the moon and Mars?
Cool just because SPACE? (Score:2)
While cool, TF summary notes this is a first "between space and Earth". I'm guessing this has already been done between two (possibly distant) places on earth. The IN SPACE factor is neat, but is there much new here?
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Maybe the "robotic hand" pressed the start button on the 3D printer for maximum hype factor?
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Add "on a computer" and patent it?
Rgds
Damon
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Well, two places on Earth don't move relative to each other, while the ISS is moving at over 17000mph relative to the Earth's surface, and regularly goes "behind" the Earth.