The humanoid robot Valkyrie, developed by NASA, has been assigned a new task: performing maintenance work on an offshore power plant owned by Woodside Energy in Western Australia. NASA will provide the robot and software to Woodside Energy, with the company covering the costs of developing remote maintenance capabilities. In return, Woodside Energy will provide NASA with software test data to help improve remote control technology for future missions on the moon or Mars. The goal is for Valkyrie to carry out inspections and maintenance on infrastructure that will be built offshore without the need for human intervention. Instead, humans can focus on more complex tasks. The experience gained from operating Valkyrie at Woodside facilities will also help NASA design robots that can withstand the challenging conditions on the moon and in future habitats. Valkyrie stands at 2 meters tall and is powered by two Intel Core i7 processors. It has a 1.8 kWh battery for approximately an hour of operation. Equipped with a modified Robotics Multisense SL sensor, Valkyrie uses 3D stereo cameras and laser scanning for perception. It has a three-degree articulating head, elastic rotary actuators for its arms and legs, and three-fingered hands. The robot has already been handed over to Woodside Energy, with its employees receiving training to ensure smooth operation. Although the robot has been in development for a decade, it has yet to deliver outstanding performances.
