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Google Cloud and NASA: Testing robotic systems for deep space missions
NASA's Artemis program necessitates crew safety and Earth-independent autonomy for future deep space missions. Communication delays to Mars will make real-time medical guidance impossible. Google Public Sector is developing the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA) to aid astronauts remotely. They are now creating a robotic system proof-of-concept to support these missions. This versatile robot will handle logistics and equipment, freeing astronauts for science. It can also pivot to medical support, like preparing an ultrasound for a medic. Safely operating in confined spacecraft requires flexible, human-directed robots. Jet Propulsion Laboratory is adapting satellite tools for the robot to understand its 3D surroundings. A simulator was used for safe practice before testing with real hardware. Utilizing vision-language-action models, astronauts can direct the robot with text prompts. Space missions require edge computing, so models are trained on Google Cloud and run locally on efficient devices. The ultimate goal is a robot that can execute various tasks via voice command under astronaut supervision. This collaboration aims to enable more challenging scientific missions.