Cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina are configuring workstation hardware aboard the International Space Station for Teledroid, an anthropomorphic, remotely operated robot built to perform tasks inside and outside the orbital outpost.
The project tests a torso-type humanoid robot equipped with technical vision. It is engineered to operate in a copying mode by mimicking the movements of a suited crew member, alongside performing certain operations autonomously.
Hardware Delivery via Progress MS-35
Components for the initiative arrived at the orbital outpost aboard the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft in September, according to updates shared by the space agency on October 28. The initial delivery brought the crew’s workstation, featuring a copying-type master device designed to translate human movements into robotic actions.
The delivered apparatus also includes a computing module, an external camera to observe the robot from a vantage point, and the system structure itself. Remaining hardware required to complete the setup will arrive on subsequent cargo flights via the Progress vehicle.
Three-Phase Operational Testing Plan
The testing schedule is divided into three distinct phases. Crew members are currently installing the workstation and initializing the hardware to run initial tasks using virtual models before the physical machine arrives.
Pressurized Compartment to Exterior Deployment
Subsequent phases will move the testing inside a pressurized compartment of the station before culminating in outdoor operations. For the exterior stage, technicians will mount a dedicated experiment table and an external observation camera on the station’s surface.
Managing Tools and Tethers in Space
That final outdoor setup will allow operators inside the pressurized cabin to direct the machine through complex physical tasks, including managing electrical connectors, carabiners, manual tools, and tethers.