“Valkyrie, also known as Valkyrie-1, is a prototype humanoid robot created by NASA scientists for space programs and military needs.
Technical characteristics
The robot is 1.9 meters high and weighs 125 kilograms. It has 44 degrees of freedom. The Valkyrie has arms with movable wrists and hands, as well as 7 degrees of freedom, and can turn and tilt its head. The robot has a rechargeable battery on its back that powers all its systems. After recharging, the battery lasts a little more than an hour of R5 operation.
The new Valkyrie model has a number of advantages and modernizations. For example, the new device has various sensors, cameras and lidar in the head, cameras and ultrasonic sensors in the abdomen, and sensors on the elbows and knees. All of its limbs are made of quick-change material and can be reinstalled in minutes.
It also runs on a pair of Intel Core i7 processors. Its main sensor for perceiving the surrounding reality is a modified Carnegie Robotics Multisense SL, which allows generating a large number of light dots of the infrared structure. Its head and torso are equipped with cameras that are programmed to search for dangers around it.
A large number of elastic rotary actuators ensure smooth robot movements. His hands are simplified and consist of only three fingers and a thumb, and his head has 3 degrees of freedom.
General information
The development of Valkyrie began in 2012, and in 2013, NASA’s Johnson Space Center presented to the public a prototype of an anthropomorphic military robot created as part of the DARPA Robotics Challenge.
The robot was named Valkyrie-1, but in official sources it is designated R-5. Valkyrie is based on the Robonaut prototype. It is known that in December 2013 he was in Earth orbit, on the International Space Station.
The Associated Press reported that the US space agency is honing the Bot’s skills and abilities on Earth. According to the Agency’s representatives, a special program code will be created that will allow the robot – or its future modifications – to work in an aggressive environment. In addition, Valkyrie must be able to clearly and concisely inform operators on Earth about everything that is happening around her in space, as there is an assumption that scientists will not be able to coordinate her actions when she is on the Red Planet. It is planned to build housing for colonists and carry out emergency repairs on Mars with the help of Valkyrie. According to NASA’s preliminary calculations, this will be possible in the mid-2030s.
The year 2023 was marked by an interesting event. NASA’s Valkyrie robot starts a new mission. He is heading to Western Australia, where, as part of an agreement with
Woodside Energy The U.S. space agency plans to use Valkyrie to develop mobile manipulators for remote maintenance of unmanaged offshore energy facilities. Valkyrie will be able to improve its robotic remote operations capabilities, which will increase the safety of personnel and the environment.