By Drew Johnson
Thursday, Feb 4th, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

Not to be outdone by Honda ’s Asimo, General Motors has announced a robotics program of its own. General Motors announced on Thursday a new partnership with NASA that has developed the next generation of robotics for use in the automotive and aerospace industries.
Dubbed Robonaut 2 – or R2 for short – the humanoid robot was designed jointly between GM and NASA through a Space Act Agreement at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Faster and more dexterous than the original Robonaut, Robonaut 2 can work side-by-side with humans in a work environment –thanks to “leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies” — and could eventually be used to assemble cars or assist astronauts with dangerous missions.

“For GM, this is about safer cars and safer plants,” said Alan Taub, GM’s vice president for global research and development. “When it comes to future vehicles, the advancements in controls, sensors and vision technology can be used to develop advanced vehicle safety systems. The partnership’s vision is to explore advanced robots working together in harmony with people, building better, higher quality vehicles in a safer, more competitive manufacturing environment.”

The original Robonaut was designed and built 10 years ago and has shown tremendous potential. GM wasn’t bold enough to predict when a humanoid robot might join humans on the assembly line floor, but the announcement of R2 proves the time is coming.

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