<p>NASA has created a robot for DARPA's upcoming Robotics Challenge Trials. The Valkyrie is a six-foot two humanoid machine with detachable arms, sonar sensors, mounted cameras, and a glowing, Tony Stark-esque circle in the middle of its chest, that the space agency says is mobile and dexterous enough to enter disaster zones to provide search and rescue functions.</p><p>Project and group lead for NASA JSC's Dextrous Robotics Lab, Nicolaus Radford, tells IEEE Spectrum that Valkyrie was designed specifically for the DARPA competition. Strong legs mean the robot's capable of moving around "degraded environments" typical of disaster-stricken areas, and cameras mounted on its head, body, forearms, knees, and feet, allow it to provide visual information back to its handlers. Extra data can be provided by the robot's sonar and LIDAR units. Unlike DARPA's own Atlas robot, Valkyrie doesn't require a tether, running instead on a 2kWh battery stored on the machine's back.</p><p>Valkyrie builds on the space agency's previous humanoid robot, Robonaut, currently in orbit around the Earth in the International Space Station. Robonaut, built to work in zero-gravity environments, was the size and shape of a bulky humanoid torso. Valkyrie's powerful legs and lighter frame make it better adapted for operating on Earth, and a modular construction means the robot's arms can be switched by humans "in a matter of minutes."</p><p>In addition to the robot's practical uses, Radford explains how his team was focused on creating an "awesome" looking machine. Important in that design was a more humanoid aesthetic than most of NASA's competitors in the DARPA challenge. Valkyrie looks, moves, and even dresses like a human, wearing layers of fabric over its metal limbs. The fabric helps protect Valkyrie from falls, but Radford explains another reason for its material outerwear. "Our robot is soft. If you brush against it while you're working, you don't want to feel this cold, hard metal. You want it to feel natural, like you're working next to another human being."</p><p><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/11/5198124/nasas-valkyrie-robot-made-for-darpa-robotics-challenge">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57615190-1/nasa-unveils-6-foot-superhero-robot-valkyrie/">NASA unveils 6-foot &#039;superhero robot&#039; Valkyrie</a> (CNET)</p><p><a href="http://www.slashgear.com/nasa-unveils-valkyrie-robot-for-darpa-robotics-challenge-11308358/">NASA unveils Valkyrie robot for DARPA Robotics Challenge</a> (SlashGear)</p><p><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-unveils-valkyrie-new-super-humanoid-62-foot-she-robot-designed-darpa-trials-could-feature">NASA Unveils Valkyrie, A New Super Humanoid: The 6.2-Foot &quot;She&quot; Robot ...</a> (International Business Times)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dEe-8aXK_dAyrtM-T6G6cn1ZBvSuM&ned=us">18 additional articles.</a></p>