Robonaut 2, or R2 for short, is the second version of the dexterous humanoid robot developed by NASA. This robot is meant to help humans work in space. Its main feature is the ability to perform dexterous manipulation. The agency has built four robonauts at the time of writing this book. Here we present R2, which is supported in simulation inside ROS, using the software available online.
The R2 shown in the previous picture was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the STS-133 mission, and it is the first robot of its kind in space. It is important to note that R2 is deployed on a fixed pedestal inside the ISS, as we will see in the simulation environments in the sequel. However, other robonauts will be attached to a four-wheeled vehicle, or will have legs in the future.