Japan Launches Talking Humanoid Robot Into Space

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday August 4, 2013 @03:01PM from the nobody-can-hear-your-robot dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Kirobo, a talking humanoid robot, has been launched into space and is headed to the International Space Station. From the article: 'Japan has launched the world's first talking humanoid robot "astronaut" toward the International Space Station. Kirobo — derived from the Japanese words for "hope" and "robot" — was among five tons of supplies and machinery on a rocket launched Sunday from Tanegashima in southwestern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said. The childlike robot was designed to be a companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata and will communicate with another robot on Earth, according to developers. Wakata is expected to arrive at the space station in November.'"

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Re:And good riddance! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-08-04 15:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

It gets kids interested in space
Waste of weight by sir-gold · 2013-08-04 17:10 · Score: 1, Insightful

It costs $5000-$10,000 per pound to ship things into space, and they sent a talking companion robot that doesn't even speak the same language as any of the astronauts?