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Cute Japanese Robots To Be Launched Into Space

Posted by samzenpus on from the manga-space dept.

astroengine writes "This summer, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch two amazingly cute yet advanced, white-helmeted robots into space. Then an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will attempt to converse with one of them. Robot astronaut Kirobo and backup robot Mirata were created as part of the Kibo Robot Project, a collaboration among Robo Garage, Toyota, the University of Tokyo and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA. They aim to send the robots with the JAXA mission to the ISS on Aug. 4."

7 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. I keep looking at that cute little thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    and I keep seeing Mega Man for some strange reason.

  2. Re:Thank god by loufoque · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I find them more freaky than cute myself.

  3. These robots... by zakkudo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm not sure how you're supposed to hump these??? Maybe they are not actually from Japan.

  4. Re:Speed Racer, Racer-X, Trixie and Pops by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Where did my childhood go.

    If you're not still in your childhood, you must be in a coffin.
    Childhood should last almost a century.

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
  5. Re:Thank god by Scarletdown · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah they are. Shame they didn't make them look like Kerbals though. That would have made them at least 20% cooler.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
  6. Plastics shrink in space by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Informative

    Nice ASCII art. The problem with putting cute things in space is that it will degrade quite rapidly. Any volatiles boil off faster and plastics - even (consumer grade) nylon - shrinks in space. Eventually it cracks up and falls apart. All that happens much faster than down on the surface. So plastics designed for space is different and more expensive.

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  7. Domo Arigato Mr Astroboto by zlives · · Score: 3, Funny

    I appreciate their cuteness but their is only one kind of robots i want out of Japan