Robots - They're Freaking Relentless!

The robots just keep coming!  They don't stop!  When they grab you with their metal claws you can't break free because they are metal and robots are strong!

Wait. Sorry.  I got a little carried away there.  We've already done a couple of robot posts here, first about Japan being way ahead in the consumer robotics field and then about the U.S. turning barbeques into remote-controlled Super Soakers.

This one is actually really cool, so here are the details from CNN

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- With Dextre the robot's power problem solved, astronauts on Saturday ventured outside the international space station to put together the bulk of the gigantic walking and working machine.

...

"When he's all put together, he looks a lot like a person," he added. "He's got two arms, a body, a head, and he is designed to do basically the same things that we do on a spacewalk."

At the same time, Reisman considers Dextre a little scary and monstrous-looking. Before the flight, he likened it to Frankenstein's monster coming alive.

Once fully assembled, Dextre will stand 12 feet and have a mass of 3,400 pounds. Its shoulder span is nearly 8 feet.

Apparently, Mission Control, wary of a robot uprising, issued a condensed set of Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.  Dextre (short for "Dexterous") is a Canadian-made behemoth intended to take over some of the heavy lifting at the space station, notably the attachment of a new laboratory called "Kibo," from Japan.

This robot is actually pretty similar to the consumer robotics that are taking off in Japan, just on a larger scale.  Whereas the Japanese have little robots that can guide you around a hospital, the space station is getting the Super Sized version.  Still the basic principle is the same - "Hey robot, give me a hand!"

Anything that lessens the frequency or duration of space walks is a good idea.  They're understandably the riskiest part of a mission.  I mean, it's the astronaut, a suit and...nothing.  Although I'm sure many astronauts will tell you that space walking (it can be a veb, right?) is why they signed up, it's still dangerous.  Probably not a bad idea to let Dextre help out.

Besides, wouldn't you love to see footage of a twelve-foot-tall robot walking around and mugging for the camera?

This is so much cooler than my Robie the Banker.