Cimon (robot)
| Company type | Collaborative project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Robotics, Artificial intelligence |
| Founded | August 2016 |
| Founder | Airbus, IBM, German Aerospace Center |
| Headquarters | International Space Station |
Key people | Matthias Biniok (chief designer) |
| Products | AI-driven robotic assistant |
Cimon or CIMON (an acronym for Crew Interactive Mobile companion) is an AI-driven robot with a head-shaped design, currently utilized aboard the International Space Station.
Created through a collaboration between Airbus and IBM, with financial support from the German Aerospace Center, Cimon functions as an intelligent assistant for astronauts.[1] Its appearance draws inspiration from Professor Simon Wright, known as "the flying brain," a character from the anime series Captain Future.[2] Powered by IBM Watson’s Natural Language Processing and running on the Ubuntu platform,[3] Cimon navigates the station environment using integrated fans.[4]
Purpose
The primary goal of Cimon is to alleviate astronaut stress by supporting them in conducting experiments, performing maintenance tasks, and carrying out repairs, thereby lessening their workload as noted by experts Judith-Irina Buchheim and Alexander Choukèr.[5]
Cimon acts as a hands-free database, computing device, and camera, responding entirely to spoken commands.[5]
Additionally, engineers utilize Cimon to investigate capabilities in Big Data analysis, data mining techniques, and enhancing artificial intelligence assessments.[5]
Behavior
Activated through voice wake-up commands, Cimon provides assistance with tasks or offers entertainment options to astronauts.[6]
When aiding with procedures, it presents visuals of necessary tools and guides crew members stepwise using graphical instructions.[6]
The robot engages in conversational exchanges; for instance, it responds to requests for music or light-hearted dialogue to foster crew interaction.[6]
Cimon is capable of locating objects, conducting inventory checks, taking photographs upon request, and returning to the astronaut afterward.[7]
Designed to recognize emotional states such as happiness or sadness among astronauts, Cimon aims to act as a true companion according to its chief designer Matthias Biniok.[8]
If a command exceeds its processing ability, Cimon politely indicates its inability to fulfill the request.[6]
Its display features an animated face that can appear masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral; it animates facial expressions and eye movements synchronized with speech.[5][7][6]
The robot can orient itself toward speakers and convey acknowledgment through nodding or shaking its head.[7][5]
It operates either attached to a robotic arm within the station or floats freely using fans that enable controlled flight and the ability to follow astronauts.[7][6]
A playful nod to popular culture includes Cimon replying “I’m afraid I cannot do that” when prompted to open pod bay doors, referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey.[7]
Description
Cimon is a spherical robotic device measuring 32 centimeters in diameter and weighing 5 kilograms. It is equipped with an LCD display on its front, which serves to present facial expressions and visual information. Crafted from plastic and steel components through 3D printing, Cimon navigates using 14 built-in fans. Its visual system comprises two front-facing cameras acting as eyes, a dedicated facial recognition camera, and two additional side cameras for recording video. For audio input, it incorporates seven microphones for pinpointing sound sources and a directional microphone designed for voice recognition.
The robot’s battery endurance lasts around 2 hours, with the newer CIMON-2 model offering enhanced battery performance.
Demonstration videos
The European Space Agency’s YouTube channel features two principal demonstration videos of Cimon. The first video, uploaded on November 30, 2018, has a duration of seven minutes and illustrates Cimon’s interactive functions with astronaut Alexander Gerst. The second video, released on April 18, 2020, is a four-minute edited presentation emphasizing Cimon’s capabilities, enriched with background music and streamlined clips.
CIMON-1
The first iteration, CIMON-1, was developed beginning in August 2016 through collaboration among the German Aerospace Center, Airbus, IBM, and Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital. It was sent to the International Space Station on June 29, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and returned to Earth on August 27, 2019.
CIMON-2
CIMON-2 was launched on December 5, 2019, during the SpaceX CRS-19 mission alongside biological payloads including 40 mice. This version boasts advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, improved reliability during operation, and a longer functional lifespan.
See also
- Int-Ball – floating camera robot deployed on the ISS by JAXA
- Kirobo – first robot astronaut on the ISS by JAXA
- Robonaut2 – semi-humanoid robot deployed on the ISS by NASA
- HAL 9000 – fictional computer in the Space Odyssey series
External links
- CIMON - the intelligent astronaut assistant video on Vimeo
- The Floating Robot With an IBM Brain Is Headed to Space, Wired, June 28, 2018
- SpaceX delivers CIMON, along with berries and ice cream, at ISS, Digital Trends, July 3, 2018
- ↑ "Floating robot ball sent to space station". BBC News. 2018-06-29.
- ↑ "CIMON - der intelligente Astronautenassistent". DLR (in Deutsch). 2018-03-02.
- ↑ "Meet the Astronaut AI that Runs on Ubuntu". OMG!UBUNTU!. 2018-07-09.
- ↑ "DLR – CIMON-2 is on its way to the ISS".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "CIMON - the intelligent astronaut assistant". www.dlr.de.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Horizons science – Cimon
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Digital Trends.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ ABC News.
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