Noel Randewich writes Googleâs smartphones will serve as âbrains and eyesâ for the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites robots.
NASA intends for the SPHERES machines to carry out risky tasks outside the space station, among other duties, according to the report.
The smartphones are scheduled for launch into space on July 11, the report says.
The mobile devices are part of Googleâs Project Tango, integrated with motion-tracking camera and infrared depth sensor systems to navigate the internal structure of the ISS and develop a 3D map, Reuters reports.
“This type of capability is exactly what we need for a robot that’s going to do tasks anywhere inside the space station,â Chris Provencher, Smart SPHERES project manager, told Reuters.