Building a Droid Robot for the ISS

Inspired by science fiction classics, NASA scientists are building a talking, thinking and flying droid robot to help astronauts with their chores in space.

It looks like something straight out of a Star Wars movie. And to hear it described - a self-propelled, floating, talking, computerised personal assistant with artificial intelligence - you might suspect it really is a "droid" from a science fiction film.

The similarity isn't a coincidence. The design was actually inspired by the small floating sphere that Luke Skywalker sparred against in the original Star Wars!

The idea may have its roots in science fiction, but this droid is quickly becoming a reality at NASA's Ames Research Centre.

Soon these little robots, called "Personal Satellite Assistants" (or PSAs for short), may be flying on board the space shuttle and living in the International Space Station (ISS). They will help the crew save valuable time by assisting with routine chores. And they could be lifesavers when emergencies arise.

"I looked a little bit at the light sabre training remote in Star Wars. That was part of the inspiration for [the PSA]," says Yuri Gawdiak, who originated the PSA concept and is now the project's principal investigator.

Another science fiction classic - Star Trek - gave some of the astronauts an idea for a tool that would be useful on missions.

"The astronauts requested a 'tricorder'-like capability," Gawdiak says, referring to the portable device that landing parties on Star Trek would use to survey the atmospheres of alien planets.

Pictured is Yuri Gawdiak, principal investigator for the project at the NASA Ames Research Centre. It may look like something out of science fiction, but this softball-sized robot helper could soon be aiding real-life astronauts with their daily tasks.

"We took it a step further and said we can give you a 'tricorder' and a personal digital assistant ... and make it autonomous," Gawdiak says.