NASA’s dexterous robotics team at Johnson Space Center is developing robotic systems that can perform tasks requiring the use of hands, such as gripping tools, opening hatches, and moving cargo, with the aim of making human missions in harsh environments safer and more sustainable. This work comes as NASA expands its plans for human exploration beyond Earth orbit, particularly on the surface of the Moon, with potential future applications in Mars missions.
Shaun Azimi leads a 16-member team within the Robotic Systems Technologies Branch at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team combines expertise in mechatronics, software, electronics, and mechanics, enabling it to develop hardware and software, simulate operations, and test them within a single system.
From Robonaut 2 to Valkyrie
The team’s expertise is based on previous projects such as the Robonaut 2 robot, which participated in technology demonstrations for robots aboard the International Space Station for seven years, and the bipedal Valkyrie robot, the first humanoid robot developed by NASA. Several engineers who worked on the two projects continue to develop technologies for movement and interaction with the environment.
NASA explains that the goal is not to replace human explorers, but to use reliable robots capable of performing dangerous or repetitive tasks, allowing crews to focus on work that requires human judgment and skills in which robots remain less capable.
iMETRO Facility Tests Robots in a Realistic Environment
The Integrated Mobile Evaluation Testbed for Robotics Operations (iMETRO) facility is a central part of the team’s work. The facility combines open-source software and simulation tools, models of spacecraft and space habitats, household robots, and an outdoor rock field. This makes it possible to test a complete robot or an individual hardware or software component before transferring it to NASA programs or using it with external partners.
A team from PickNik Inc. used the facility to test software that enables a robotic arm to identify an opening in a spacecraft, rotate its latch, grip the handle and open the door, and then move cargo bags between the opening and a container. The facility was also used to develop software that inspects and assists in maintaining a cold-storage freezer using a commercial robotic arm and a camera.
What Changes in Practice?
The importance of iMETRO goes beyond testing the robot’s performance itself; it allows engineers to test the relationship between the robot and the environment designed for humans. Robots may need larger handles, better lighting, or modifications to the design of habitats and vehicles so they can perform their tasks reliably under human supervision. NASA believes that bringing robot developers together with habitat and vehicle designers reduces guesswork and reveals operational constraints early.
In the near term, the team is focusing on technologies that support a sustainable human presence on the surface of the Moon, while NASA is also working with other entities to prepare for an anticipated challenge inviting the public to propose technological solutions for exploring Mars. The source does not specify a timeline for deploying Valkyrie or other robots on an operational mission, nor does it present quantitative performance results or a final readiness level; therefore, the development remains in the research, development, and applied testing stage.