The astronaut Luca Parmitano uses the haptic plateform to control a robot located on earth©2019 ESA
The crew of the International Space Station has taken delivery of a haptic interface designed by EPFL spin-off Force Dimension. Astronauts could one day use the device, based on the famous delta robot developed at EPFL by Reymond Clavel, to control unmanned Martian and lunar rovers from afar. In a project called METERON, the European Space Agency (ESA) is exploring how advanced robots could be used to repair satellites in orbit or probe hostile environments like the Martian and lunar surfaces. The plan is for astronauts to control the robots remotely from the International Space Station (ISS), using a haptic interface that allows them to "feel" their every move. For this project, the ESA has opted for an interface based on the famous delta robot, designed 34 years ago by Reymond Clavel at EPFL's School of Engineering. The new device, developed by Force Dimension - a spin-off of EPFL's VRAI Group , led by Charles Baur - reached the ISS earlier this month. Since there are currently no remote-controlled rovers on the Martian or lunar surfaces, the ISS crew is using robots on Earth to practice.
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