A Trip to Johnson Space Center

After a good night's rest, we checked out of our hotel and headed off to the Johnson Space Center. I was really looking forward to visiting another NASA center, in addition to the one I already worked at (Goddard Space Flight Center). We started the day off by listening to some of the research scientists telling us about the different space exploration robots that NASA was currently working on. One of them was the spider-shaped robot, with its gold coating and looks like it could tear a person into a gazillion pieces.



But the robot I was the most impressed with was the Robonaut. Designed to act like a human, it functions like an assistant for future astronauts. It has two hands that have fingers which are able to grasp different objects. Robonaut can assist astronauts with different tasks such as repairing machines, handling tools and passing them on to the astronaut, and assist with other difficult tasks that humans may sometimes not be able to accomplish. The head of robonaut looked as if it were a real human being inside-who would believe it's just a bunch of circuits and sensors and many microprocessors.



After grabbing a quick bite to eat at the NASA cafeteria, we checked out more robots (so many robots i've ever seen), took a group picture with one of the big gigantic ones, and then headed back to the vans, and went to the airport. Two days spent in Texas, but a whole lot of information on the future of robotics, and where it is headed. I can't wait to explore the many robotic opportunities at MIT!