Autonomous grasping robots will help future astronauts maintain space habitats

A sidewalk during the fall season at Purdue University.

February 7, 2024 Purdue News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —

Purdue University researchers are using machine learning to train a robot to recognize a jumbled pile of items, locate the one item it needs and retrieve it in the most efficient way. It’s one small step to creating resilient and versatile robots that can assist astronauts in maintaining future extraterrestrial habitats on the moon, Mars or in deep space.

David Cappelleri, professor of mechanical engineering, works on robots at multiple scales: from agricultural robots powered by internet-of-things, to microrobots small enough to travel through the human body.

His latest challenge? Designing a robot that can autonomously perform maintenance on a space station.

More information is available on the Purdue School of Mechanical Engineering website.

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Media contact: Brian Huchel, bhuchel@purdue.edu