Gitai demonstrates successful autonomous robot test on the ISS

Japanese space startup Gitai Japan successfully carried out a technology demonstration of its autonomous robot inside the International Space Station in October 2021, an important milestone in the company's preparation to offer robotics as a service in space. 

The S1 robotic arm performed two tasks: operating cables and switches, and assembling structures and panels. These tasks are routine crew activities, but they can be used in a universal way for various kinds of space operations. The successful demonstration showed that the robot reached what NASA calls a Technology Readiness Level of 7 for Gitai. There are nine TRLs in total, and reaching all of them will be crucial for commercializing Gitai's robots. 

The demonstration took place inside the Bishop Airlock of commercial space company Nanoracks. It is the first and only commercial airlock in the world attached to the outside of the station. Nanoracks recently announced plans to launch a fully private commercial space station with Voyage Space and Lockheed Martin. The company also gave Gitai access to on-orbit operations, data transmission and launch capabilities. 

Switching and cable operations were also performed via remote control, or "remote operations," from the Nanoracks flight control center in Houston.

The company said: "Gitai will apply the universal autonomous space robotics technologies, know-how and experience gained in this space demonstration to develop extravehicular robotics capable of performing docking, repair and maintenance tasks in orbit, or carrying out various activities for lunar exploration and lunar base construction." 

The Gitai robotic arm was sent to orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule as part of the company's 23rd commercial resupply mission in late August 2021. The Japanese startup develops robots for a range of general space purposes, including servicing spacecraft in orbit and construction or manufacturing tasks. The company's next step will be testing the Gitai robot outside the ISS. 

A NASA statement said: "The success of this study shows that the Gitai robot could be a solution for space agencies and commercial space companies looking for versatile, dexterous, relatively safe (with less exposure of humans to life-threatening risks) and inexpensive labor. Providing this option supports the goals of space commercialization." 

However, Gitai does not want to just build robotic arms. In the company's long-term vision, robots are seen as key tools for building space colonies on the surface of the Moon or even Mars. This robotic workforce could help accelerate human presence in extraterrestrial environments. 

Gitai is a space robotics startup whose goal is to provide affordable and safe means of working in space. By 2040, Gitai aims to become an equal partner of the world's leading space companies, providing labor to build cities on the Moon and Mars. The company's motto: "They provide transport, we provide work. They reduce the cost of transport, we reduce the cost of work." 

S1 is a purpose-built space robot. It is designed to automate work inside and outside space stations, servicing in orbit, and development of lunar bases. The Gitai S1 is a semi-autonomous/semi-controlled robot. 

By combining autonomous control with artificial intelligence and remote operations via the specially developed H1 manipulation system, the robot is capable of general-purpose tasks on its own: manipulating switches, tools and soft objects, conducting scientific experiments, assembly, and high-load operations. These tasks were extremely difficult for industrial robots, such as robotic manipulators designed for specific actions. 

Technical advantages of the robot: 

• certified and qualified for spaceflight
• high-performance motor drive with direct heat dissipation to the frame
• highly reliable internal system communication via fiber optics
• highly reliable data transmission over a low-accuracy, high-latency network
• controlled and shared autonomy

H1 is the robot manipulation system that a ground operator uses for remote control. It was also designed to monitor the robot's operation. The system can send four types of tactile feedback from the robot to the operator, and provide operational support through MR (mixed reality) by displaying the robot's visual effects on an HMD, allowing the operator to control the device intuitively. 

In addition, Gitai has created G1, a general-purpose space robot that will automate various internal and external tasks at space stations. The robot combines autonomous AI-based control with remote operations via H1, but on its own also has the ability to perform versatile tasks that were previously considered extremely difficult for robots.