Name: Teacher: Per. NASA Calls for Ceasefire in Human-Robot Space Budget Wars, Innovation News Daily, 2012

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1 Name: Teacher: Per. Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE PART 1 (90 minutes) Student Directions: Your Assignment: Historically, human space travel has been developed apart from and even in competition with robotic space exploration. Now, NASA is transitioning to a new era of collaboration between humans and robots in space. NASA has asked you to write a press release explaining the benefits of humans and robots working together. You will watch two videos and read two articles to gather information. Then you will answer three research questions. On Day 2, you will write your press release. Steps You Will Follow: In order to plan and write your press release, you will do all of the following: 1. Read two articles. 2. Watch two videos. 3. Answer three questions about the readings and the videos. 4. Plan and write your press release. Directions for Beginning: You will now watch the videos and read the articles. Take notes because you may want to refer to your notes while writing your press release. You can refer back to any of the sources as often as you like. Source Information: Article #1: NASA Calls for Ceasefire in Human-Robot Space Budget Wars, Innovation News Daily, 2012 Article #2: R2 ISS Update, NASA Publication, 2012 Video #1: Human Space Exploration in the Future: Video #2 Robonaut 2: Grade 8

2 NASA Calls For Ceasefire in Human-Robot Space Budget Wars Jeremy Hsu, InnovationNewsDaily Senior Writer Date: 17 September 2012 PASADENA, Calif. On the morning of the public memorial service for Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, NASA officials called for a new era of cooperation between human and robotic space explorers in an era of tighter budgets. Space agency officials spoke of a future where astronauts and robots would work together to explore the scientific mysteries of other planets and to expand humanity's foothold in space. Their words could bring about a truce of sorts, after years of historic budgetary battles between NASA's human exploration program and its robotic science efforts. "Let's stop pitting science against exploration," said Colleen Hartman, director for science, operations and programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "The battle between humans and robots is a false one and a waste of time." Hartman and others spoke here Thursday (Sept. 13), the last day of AIAA Space 2012, a conference organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. [Future Visions of Human Spaceflight] About half of NASA's proposed $17.7 billion budget for 2013 is slated to go toward human exploration a trend unchanged for the past decade with almost $5 billion reserved for the robotic science and exploration program. But the time is right to find new areas for human-robot cooperation and even redefine the old meanings of exploration and science, said Lt. Gen. Eugene Tattini, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and deputy director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory here in Pasadena. Tattini moderated the morning panel, which was called "Human and Robotic Space Science." All the NASA center directors sitting on the panel echoed the idea of merging human and robotic capabilities in future space missions, regardless of whether their centers had traditionally supported human spaceflight missions or robotic science missions. "The human-robotic interface is going to be key to our success now and in our future," said Robert Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "You've seen the robotic devices we use to support astronauts in space. It's absolutely phenomenal."

3 Safely tucked inside orbiting habitat, space explorers use telepresence to operate machinery on Mars, even lobbing a sample of the Red Planet to the outpost for detailed study. This technology could also find use in investigating hellish Venus. Human missions going to the moon, asteroids, Mars or deep space will need robotic housesitters that can watch over outposts between visits by crews, said Stephen Altemus, director of engineering at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. He pointed to an early example in Robonaut 2 the humanoid robot aboard the International Space Station that will get a pair of gripping legs to climb outside the orbiting lab in Even as robots take over routine and risky jobs (such as spacewalks), humans could potentially do much more meaningful science with their robot buddies. Future missions may have astronauts controlling robots on planetary surfaces from orbit, riding on robotic rovers, and even wearing robotic gloves or full-body exoskeletons to boost their natural strength and mobility, Altemus said. The idea of eliminating the traditional divide between human and robot missions emerged in the planning stages of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover mission, which landed on the Red Planet. Aug. 5. Curiosity's mission represents a natural stepping stone for possible cooperation on human-robot efforts such as a returning a sample of Martian rock or soil to Earth, researchers said. "Curiosity is controlled by people but is smart in its own right," said James Garvin, chief scientist for the science and exploration directorate at NASA Goddard. "It is a forerunner for what we could do with people."

4 ROBONAUT R2 Author/Designer: Joe Bibby NASA Official: Ron Diftler Media Contact: Dan Huot Last Updated: Contact NASA R2 ISS Update Robonaut 2 is one step closer to earning its keep on the International Space Station. R2 got its first taste of real work on Wednesday. The crew and ground team had completed all its initial checkouts, and Tuesday installed heat sinks in both of the robot s forearms to allow it to better dissipate heat and work for longer periods of time. The first humanoid robot in space was sent to the space station with the intention of eventually taking over tasks too dangerous or mundane for astronauts, and the first such task identified for it was monitoring air velocity. Astronauts onboard the space station generally have to measure the air flow in front of vents inside the station to ensure that none of the ventilation ductwork gets clogged or blocked. The task involves holding a gauge in front of vents in five different locations on the station and taking several measurements of the air flow every 90 days or so. It s not exactly a job that requires a rocket scientist or astronaut to accomplish, but there are a few things that make it difficult. For one, the gauge has to be held very steady a challenge for a human being bobbing up and down in microgravity. And the samples can be misleading if there s another source of air flow in the area such as a human being s breath. Holding still and not breathing happen to be two areas that R2 excels in, so in some ways the robot is a natural choice for the work. Which is why Commander Dan Burbank handed the tools over to the robot (after powering it up and letting the ground controllers command it into position) on Wednesday to let it give the task a try. The robot successfully gave the team watching from the ground two good samples taken in front of a ventilation diffuser in the Destiny Laboratory. It wasn t able to work through the samples as quickly as an astronaut could, and without legs (which are in development on the ground) it could only take samples in one area, rather than all five. But back in Mission Control, the effort was definitely counted as a success. I was pretty impressed with the robot s ability, said Mari Forrestel, the Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems flight controller analyzing the data R2 sent down. I think we have some tweaking to do, some fine tuning, but we are definitely looking forward to the robot helping us. Ron Diftler, the Robonaut 2 project manager, agreed. We re definitely on the right path, he said. Robonaut 2 had a chance to use its first tool today. This experiment is the first step in the robot relieving the crew of every dull task and, in time, giving the crew more time for science and exploration. What is a Robonaut? A Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Our challenge is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space. Working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people, Robonauts will expand our ability for construction and discovery. Central to that effort is a capability we call dexterous manipulation, embodied by ROBONAUT 2

5 an ability to use one's hand to do work, and our challenge has been to build machines with dexterity that exceeds that of a suited astronaut. There are currently four Robonauts, with others currently in development. This allows us to study various types of mobility, control methods, and task applications. The value of a humanoid over other designs is the ability to use the same workspace and tools - not only does this improve efficiency in the types of tools, but also removes the need for specialized robotic connectors. Robonauts are essential to NASA's future as we go beyond low earth orbit and continue to explore the vast wonder that is space. Robonaut 2 or R2, launched to the International Space Station on space shuttle Discovery as part of the STS- 133 mission, it is the first dexterous humanoid robot in space, and the first US-built robot at the space station. But that was just one small step for a robot and one giant leap for robot-kind. Initially R2 will be deployed on a fixed pedestal inside the ISS. Next steps include a leg for climbing through the corridors of the Space Station, upgrades for R2 to go outside into the vacuum of space, and then future lower bodies like legs and wheels to propel the R2 across Lunar and Martian terrain. A four wheeled rover called Centaur 2 is being evaluated at the 2010 Desert Field Test in Arizona as an example of these future lower bodies for R2. The project is led by the Robotics Systems Technology Branch in the Software Robotics and Simulation Division at Johnson Space Center's Engineering Directorate. Robonaut 2 In the current iteration of Robonaut, Robonaut 2 or R2, NASA and General Motors are working together with assistance from Oceaneering Space Systems engineers to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries. Robonaut 2 (R2) is a state of the art highly dexterous anthropomorphic robot. Like its predecessor Robonaut 1 (R1), R2 is capable of handling a wide range of EVA tools and interfaces, but R2 is a significant advancement over its predecessor. R2 is capable of speeds more than four times faster than R1, is more compact, is more dexterous, and includes a deeper and wider range of sensing. Advanced technology spans the entire R2 system and includes: optimized overlapping dual arm dexterous workspace, series elastic joint technology, extended finger and thumb travel, miniaturized 6-axis load cells, redundant force sensing, ultra-high speed joint controllers, extreme neck travel, and high resolution camera and IR systems. The dexterity of R2 allows it to use the same tools that astronauts currently use and removes the need for specialized tools just for robots. One advantage of a humanoid design is that Robonaut can take over simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks on places such as the International Space Station. Because R2 is approaching human dexterity, tasks such as changing out an air filter can be performed without modifications to the existing design. Another way this might be beneficial is during a robotic precursor mission. R2 would bring one set of tools for the precursor mission, such as setup and geologic investigation. Not only does this improve efficiency in the types of tools, but also removes the need for specialized robotic connectors. Future missions could then supply a new set of tools and use the existing tools already on location. ROBONAUT 2

6 Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE NOTE TAKING TOOL SOURCE BENEFITS OF ROBOTS IN SPACE BENEFITS OF HUMANS IN SPACE Article #1: NASA Calls for Ceasefire Video #1: Human Space Exploration Article #2: R2 ISS Update Video #2: Robonaut 2

7 Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE Research Questions for Part 1: 1. How does including robots in space exploration benefit human astronauts? Use information from article #1 and video #1. (Claim 4, Target 2) Grade 8 Humans and Robots in Space Part 1 & 2

8 Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE 2. Evaluate which source, video #2 or article #2, best presents the capabilities of a robot on a manned space mission. (Claim 4, Target 3) Grade 8 Humans and Robots in Space Part 1 & 2

9 Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE 3. Colleen Hartman, in article #1, states The battle between humans and robots is a false one and a waste of time. Provide evidence from more than one source to support this viewpoint. Cite your sources. (Claim 4, Target 4) Grade 8 Humans and Robots in Space Part 1 & 2

10 Task: HUMANS AND ROBOTS IN SPACE PART 2 (90 minutes) Student Directions: You will now have 70 minutes to review your notes and sources, plan, draft, and revise your press release. You may use your notes and refer back to the sources. You may also refer to the answers you wrote to questions at the end of part 1, but you cannot change those answers. Now read your assignment and the information about how your press release will be scored. Then begin your work. Your assignment: NASA is transitioning to a new era of collaboration between humans and robots in space. Write a press release (a short article publicizing something new) explaining the benefits of humans and robots working together in space. Use information from both print and video sources in your press release. Press Release Scoring Your press release will be scored on the following criteria: The response: maintains focus on the topic with adequate supporting details has a logical organizational pattern and conveys a sense of wholeness and completeness provides transitions to connect ideas uses language and word choices for intended audience and purpose includes sentences, or phrases where appropriate, that are somewhat varied in length and structure Now begin work on your press release. Manage your time carefully so that you can: plan your press release write your press release revise and edit for a final draft Type your response in the space provided. Write as much as you need to fulfill the requirements of the task; you are not limited by the size of the response area on the screen. Created by Nancy Skerritt and Kristin Edlund for the Pacific Education Institute, May 2013 Grade 8