Japan launched a talking robot nicknamed "Kirobo" into space aboard a Japanese cargo ship on Sunday.
The small talking robot was sent into orbit from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, becoming the first talking robot sent into space, which will be the companion of astronaut Kochi Wakata when he begins his space mission in November.
Kirobo, which is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on August 9, was sent into space through an unmanned HTV-4 cargo ship, which also carries drinking water, food, clothing, and work supplies for members of the six-man team based at the ISS.
The 13-inch "astronaut robot" is part of a study that aims to determine how mechanical companions can provide support to astronauts during long space voyages. The launch is under the Kibo Robot Project that was established to improve human-robot interaction in space.
The Japanese-speaking robot's effectiveness will be tested starting November when Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Wakata takes over as the commander of the ISS in November.
"Kirobo will remember Mr. Wakata's face so it can recognize him when they reunite up in space. I wish for this robot to function as a mediator between a person and machine, or a person and the Internet, and sometimes even between people," said Tomotaka Takahashi, the lead developer of the talking robot.
Takahashi added that the biggest challenge ahead of them is the compatibility of the robot with space, but he expressed confidence that the tests they performed were enough to prove the reliability of Kirobo, which derives its name from words "hope" and "robot".
Dozens of tests were performed during the past nine months and Takahashi described the development as a "giant leap for robots" in space.
Sunday's launch was the fourth mission under JAXA's HTV program. The HTV-1 blasted into space in September 2009, followed by the HTV-2 in January 2011, and the HTV-3, which was launched into space in July 2012.
The Kibo Robot Project was launched by Takahashi in cooperation with car producer Toyota and advertising company Dentsu.