Navigating in a microgravity environment is a challenge even for trained human astronauts, but it is even more challenging for autonomous robots, limiting their use in places like a space station.
Now, however, Stanford researchers have used artificial intelligence to steer a free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station (ISS), potentially paving the way for more autonomous space missions in the future. Working with NASA’s cube-shaped Astrobee robot, the Stanford research team demonstrated how a machine-learning system can plan safe routes through the ISS’ crowded modules significantly faster than existing methods. The advances address a long-standing hurdle for space robotics — namely, how to move quickly and safely with limited computing power and minimal human input in one of the most extreme engineering environments possible.
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