Japan brings robots to space as astronauts

A talking humanoid robot will be put in space as a companion to a Japanese astronaut in a 6-month mission.

Japan's Kibo project says the small robot will be taken to the International Space Station (ISS) from the summer, a few months before the astronaut Koichi Wakata flies into space.

Preliminary drawings of robots

The robot has a height of 13.4cm and weighs about 1kg and is programmed to recognize Wakata's face and communicate with him in Japanese. Robots can also take pictures while in space.

Robot will send information about Earth from Japan's Kibo research lab located on ISS. It will be here with Wakata, who will play the role of ISS commander when coming here.

A preliminary drawing of this robot was announced on Thursday, showing that it is humanoid, colored in black and silver, wearing a bright red shoe.

Organizers will solicit for the public to name this robot, which also has a second version that will stay on the ground.

A team of researchers from Tokyo University, under the leadership of advertising agency Dentsu and robot creator Tomotaka Takahashi, are in charge of organizing the project.