NASA’s Smartphone-Powered SPHERES Robots

Computers & Mobile Robotics
NASA’s Smartphone-Powered SPHERES Robots

NASA recently upgraded their Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) with Nexus S smartphones running Android. The upgrade add the intelligence and hardware needed for units to become remotely operated robots. [via NASA]

By connecting a smartphone, we can immediately make SPHERES more intelligent. With the smartphone, the SPHERES will have a built-in camera to take pictures and video, sensors to help conduct inspections, a powerful computing unit to make calculations, and a Wi-Fi connection that we will use to transfer data in real-time to the space station and mission control.

16 thoughts on “NASA’s Smartphone-Powered SPHERES Robots

  1. Anonymous says:

    A very practical low cost way to add  intelligence and connect to vast communications networks – a virtual potential “window/gateway to the world” for the SPHERES. 

  2. Ronnie Hinton says:

  3. Guillaume Filion says:

    NASA TV always manages to take the most exciting subjects and make them boring… :(

  4. Gregg says:

    Where’s our discussion on that article?

    1. Gregg says:

      Replying to myself, found it. Same idea different subject.

  5. Ouroborus says:

    In other news: Unable to contact space station after SPHERES locate station’s repair and engineering facility.

  6. Aaron Conway says:

    would be cool if they would allow schools to control the SPHERES for some awesome science fun!

  7. Keith Baas says:

    Angry Birds in Spaaaaaaaaace!!

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