The first Japanese astronauts will be immortal. Japan, the world leader in humanoid robotics, won't land flesh and blood human beings on the Moon, but aluminum and carbon fiber "avatar robots" that won't die.
Japan said it intends to explore the Moon and Mars, and undertake future space voyages, by using robot explorers, or what they officially call "long-distance remote-controlled avatar robots." It's named its avatar robot, MELTANT.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is partnering with a number of firms to develop these revolutionary avatar robots named "MELTANT." Among JAXA partners in developing MELTANT are ANA Holdings Inc. (the largest airline in Japan); Shadow Robot Company (experts at grasping and manipulation for robotic hands), and Meltin MMI (a Tokyo-based research and development venture focusing on cyborg technologies).
MELTANT will be the first in a family of space-faring robots controlled remotely by humans that Japan will use to explore the solar system without the need of putting human astronauts in danger.
The partners are working to advance the "Avatar X program" with the start of full-scale development on the MELTANT avatar robot for deployment in space. JAXA revealed the Avatar X program early this month. It also disclosed plans to send avatar robots such as MELTANT into space or to other planetary bodies.
Meltin said it plans to operate the MELTANT avatar robot in every type of space environment, including on a space station or at bases on the Moon or on Mars. It said MELTANT will build bases, repair equipment and even perform surgery on humans.
Meltin asserts long-distance remote-controlled avatar robots like MELTANT will protect astronauts from the dangers of space (such as lethal radioactivity) and reduce the very expensive cost of space missions.
Ultimately, substitute operations conducted using avatar robots such as MELTANT hold the key to shortening space travel. Avatar robots will also make possible extremely long-distance explorations to the outer planets of our Solar System -- and later on the exploration of nearby galaxies such as Alpha Centauri.
The outstanding characteristic MELTANT possesses is its very human-like and human-looking hands developed by Shadow Robot Company. Meltin says that since MELTANT's hands are strong and flexible, the robot can replace people in dangerous space operations.
MELTANT's robotic hands are the same size as a human's. They have the same power, haptics, speed and freedom of movement. The hands can be controlled intuitively.
The Avatar X partners will build a test facility in Japan in 2019. They intend to send MELTANT and its kin to the International Space Station by 2020 for testing in space.
