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Android in spaaaace! (Part 2)
Posted: 01 Sep 2011 10:20 AM PDT
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGoogleMobileBlog/~3/vN_Rtqu4VG4/android-in-spaaaace-part-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email
(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)
Back in December, Android ventured into near space, thanks to a weekend of
DIY work, a couple of Nexus S phones, some weather balloons and the help of
this little guy. After this first adventure, we knew it was only a matter
of time before Android went further into space.
On the last manned space shuttle, Atlantis, NASA sent two Nexus S phones
along for the ride as part of the STS-135 mission. The goal is to use Nexus
S on the International Space Station to explore how robots can help humans
experiment and live in space more efficiently.
NASA is using Nexus S phones to upgrade a trio of volleyball-sized SPHERES
(Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites),
originally developed by MIT. The phones help the robotic satellites perform
tasks the astronauts used to do, like recording sensor data and capturing
video footage. In the future, the phones will control and maneuver the
SPHERES using the IOIO board and possibly the Android Open Accessory
Development Kit (ADK).
A couple of our engineers built an open source sensor logging app that NASA
decided was perfect for running diagnostics with the SPHERES. You can
download the same app yourself from Android Market. NASA was interested in
Android because it's an open source platform, which makes it easy to
customize the software on the phone to meet the specifications required to
fly in space and work with the SPHERES. Nexus S was also a good fit because
of its various sensors and low-powered, but high-performing, processor.
You can learn more about the project on NASA's website. We loved being a
part of the final Space Shuttle mission and working to bring the power of
the Android platform to space exploration.
Posted by Thor Lewis, Creative Lead, and Charles Chen, Software Engineer
Source:Gmail