IBM Voice Assistant for space travel

We are all familiar with our smartphones’ virtual assistant, with mere voice commands, these devices are able to interpret our instructions and then act upon them. IBM has a similar system to help astronauts. Its called CIMON or Crew Interactive Mobile Companion, and it’s the size of a medicine ball.

The front, has a flat surface and an embedded screen that does more than just smile at you. It is able to display instructions and record images during an experiment. This machine was developed to help astronauts with their many tasks and research activities. The original CIMON, was introduced last year and has spent the last 14 months in in space.

Aboard the ISS (International Space Station) it assisted with experiments on crystallization, demonstrated its maneuvering capabilities, and recorded video and images. The new assistant, CIMON-2, is a joint project by IBM, Airbus and German Aerospace Center (DLR). It is an improved machine equipped with ultrasonic sensors, cameras, microphones.

It left earth on December 4 and will spend 3 years aboard the ISS. Its core purpose is to assist astronauts with their work, and when the need arises, to offer emotional support. It is able to evaluate human emotions and emphatically respond to situations. CIMON-2 is fitted with the latest AI tech which includes the IBM Watson Assistant, Watson Tone Analyzer and Watson Assistant.

In the future, IBM’s research team is researching the possibility of loading such an AI into an “ISS cloud” for use in space travel. This should give astronauts the level of support we enjoy from Google’s Assistant, Siri or Alexa.