Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

An astronaut dummy? I don't get it.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

You're so right, that's my attitude toward competing at Dallas next week. A week one regional with so many powerhouses and rising stars? No one is top dog at Dallas this year until the field lights go green on the last finals match.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

I believe that is a "Robonaut", which is the technical term for a robotic astronaut. A fitting pun for a 118 video!

Excellence in execution, as always. Giving us a lot to think about with our 30 pound allowance and time prior to first regional.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

The humanoid robot in the background is Robonaut 2, or R2. An upper body very similar to the one you see in the video was launched to the International Space Station in February of 2011. The climbing legs you see in the video are a more recent addition, having launched on SpaceX-3 in April of last year. Since then, a lot of work has gone into attaching the legs to the upper body, and implementing the software and hardware upgrades required to enable R2 to work as one robot. Much of the future work will be into finding ways that R2 can offload boring or repetitive maintenance tasks that astronauts are now required to do, allowing them to spend more time doing the science that they're there for.

You can find out more here:
http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/st.../robonaut.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robonaut

Robonaut also tweets from space @Astrorobonaut.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

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Our tax dollars being spent on something worthwhile, for a change.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

Solid clothing choices are being made at 00:57. ;)

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

What are you guys using to tension your intake wheels?

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

What is the purpose of the tiny omni wheels?

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

They are definitely for acceleration

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

probably to prevent tipping forward and catching on the step.

Re: The Robonauts 118 - 2015 Video
 

And it appears that the two on the back function like a wheelie bar.