TETHER-BOT Autonomous Robots

In the late 1990’s with the Space Shuttle program in full swing, a series of autonomous robotics programs were developed aimed at increasing mission safety and productivity while in orbit. One of the leading projects in this space led to the design and production of Tether-BOTs or ‘T-BOTs’, a fleet of autonomous actors that could assist astronauts on spacewalks. Opting to use the robust computer technology of the time, the T-BOTs utilised magnetic tape recording technology to read ‘Program Cards’ that could store up to 6500 instruction sequences. Considered semi-autonomous, these program cards allowed major functions to be updated and improved throughout the robot’s lifecycle.