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WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

As the space industry steps looks to explore more space and even colonise and mine new planets the demands on astronauts is increasing, so CIMON and its descendents will be used to help lighten their load and make them more productive.

 

IBM Watson is coming to the International Space Station (ISS) in the form of a “floating brain,” after Airbus went out to find a partner who could help them build an Artificial Intelligence (AI) specifically designed for living on the ISS where Watson’s new name will be Crew Interactive Mobile Companion, or CIMON for short.

 

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“CIMON will be the first AI-based mission and flight assistance system,” said Manfred Jaumann, Head of Microgravity Payloads at Airbus, “we are the first company in Europe to carry a free flyer, a kind of flying brain, to the ISS and to develop artificial intelligence for the crew on board the space station.”
 

Meet CIMON

 

CIMON, which at first glance doesn’t look too dissimilar to some of the other robots that are already flying around the ISS, is around the size of a medicine ball and weighs around 11 pounds (5 kg), and its entire structure, which is made up of plastic and metal, was created using 3D printing.

First conceived of in August 2016, CIMON has been built with one specific astronaut in mind from the beginning. Airbus worked with German astronaut Alexander Gerst in everything from training CIMON to recognise his voice to the AI’s graphic interface.

After CIMON’s functional testing is complete, Gerst will take it into space where it will begin helping him in three test runs, namely experimenting with crystals, working together to solve a Rubik’s cube and performing a complex medical experiment using CIMON as a flying camera.

 

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CIMON will only have limited features in its initial voyage into space, which could come as early as next month and its basic testing will consist of optimising what are known as GNC algorithms, which stands for guidance, navigation and control, but researchers have high hopes that it, or some equivalent, will be able to accompany astronauts on longer journeys into space in the future.

Although Watson hasn’t always lived up to what some have called its “marketing hype” its framework should provide a good guide for creating a usable assistant in space, and if it can get that Rubik’s cube down with Gerst, then it could be one step closer to becoming a sidekick for future astronauts everywhere.

About author

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.

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