Kirobo stands next to its Earth buddy, Mirata.
(Credit: Kibo Robot Project)
Astronauts and robot sidekicks go together like Dave and HAL 9000, like Will Robinson and B9, like Doctor Who and K9. Soon, that illustrious list will grow longer with the addition of a Japanese astronaut and Kirobo, a conversational robot companion.
Kirobo looks like a cross between Astro Boy and a Power Ranger, all rendered in miniature. Since the bot’s job is to be a companion, not a worker. It’s very compact in size, just 13 inches tall and a little over 2 pounds in weight.
Kirobo has been in development for some time as a joint project between Toyota, the University of Tokyo, and Robo Garage. It’s the space-worthy version of its Earth-bound counterpart, Mirata. Kirobo has gone through design phases and testing to be sure it will work in zero gravity and survive the rigors of space travel.
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