NASA’s Robonaut Now Comes with Terrifying, Grabby Doctor Octopus Legs

NASA’s current International Space Station robot is unable to get around on its own, and honestly, we’d feel safer that way after seeing the nightmare that is the new version with legs. Now we’re just wondering how long we’ll be safe before someone welds this thing to Alfred Molina’s back.

They can call it Robonaut all they want; we know Doctor Octopus arms when we see them. We’ll forever refer to this as Doctor Octonaut, thank you very much.

The legs even have little cameras on the ends for some Sam Raimi-style horror video of its victim’s last moments. (Or, you know, to help it accurately grab things and maneuver itself around the inside and outside of the ISS. Whatever.) Skip towards the end of the video to see it use them to move itself around.

OK, it will help reduce the risks involved in the astronauts’ duties by gaining the ability to go outside and perform space walks some time early in the new year, but just look at how smug it gets about its 9-foot leg-span:

“What? I don’t even care. I’ll come at you with just my foot-pinchers.”

(via Universe Today, image via ReelNASA on YouTube)

Meanwhile in related links

• Let’s hope it doesn’t team up with zombie drones, which are a real thing
• Future robots may have hearts that pump pee
• Fujitsu is building a robot that can get into college, so good luck, future students