Categories: NewsTechnology

World’s Cutest Camera Drone Is Now a Permanent Resident Aboard the ISS

When people talk about drones, the discussion will eventually turn toward privacy concerns and safety risks. However, this technology can also be used to do a lot of good. A new Japanese spherical drone was launched to the ISS last month, providing astronauts with helpful features. Plus, it’s very cute.

New ISS Drone Is Adorable and Functional at the Same Time

Astronauts aboard the ISS were happy to welcome their new friend on board. A spherical drone designed by Japanese space agency JAXA has now taken up permanent residency aboard the ISS. The device looks pretty cute despite being only 15cm in size.

Looks are only one part of the equation, however. The main reason to put this drone aboard the ISS was to help astronauts save time so they can continue work on more important tasks. It appears this drone will be tasked with maneuvering around the ISS in zero-gravity and capturing video of day-to-day operations. It will also take pictures whenever needed. Right now, this media must be manually collected by astronauts, taking up a lot of their valuable time.

The ISS has no shortage of cameras recording everything that goes on aboard. However, manually operating these devices to snap photos and record video can take up as much as 10% of astronauts’ time. Using a

Related Post
drone with filming equipment on board makes a lot more sense in this regard, and it will help increase overall productivity. Plus, it has a friendly face that immediately brightens your day.

Getting a drone aboard the ISS was not an easy feat. The drone hitched a ride aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which was launched in June of 2017. Int-Ball, as this mechanical companion is named, features a three-axis control unit to orient the robot itself. Its engineers had trouble figuring out how to make the drone work in zero-G, but it worked out thanks to pink 3D marker targets.

One thing that makes the Int-Ball stand out is its two large eyes on the front. Despite what some people may assume, these are not cameras. They are merely a way to make the drone appear more friendly and appealing to humans. Plus, they help communicate which way the drone is looking at any given time. Its actual camera is located in between those eyes.

The Int-Ball streams video down to earth in real-time, allowing the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center to monitor what is going on aboard the ISS at all times. Although capturing video is already a useful feature,  engineers are looking at ways to make it behave more autonomously in the future. There are also undisclosed plans on the table to make this drone more useful to the crew. A cute little helper, that Int-Ball, and one that could prove to be quite competent as well.

JP Buntinx

JP Buntinx is a FinTech and Bitcoin enthusiast living in Belgium. His passion for finance and technology made him one of the world's leading freelance Bitcoin writers, and he aims to achieve the same level of respect in the FinTech sector.

Share
Published by
JP Buntinx

Recent Posts

Altcoin Alert: Crypto Market Cap Breaches Key Level Hinting at an 8000x Rally for this Shiba Inu Killer

Shiba Inu (SHIB) gave enormous returns in 2021, making many early holders millionaires. After the…

2 hours ago

XRP Crash? XRP Falls Below $0.5 Resistance Level as Next Gen Altcoin JetBolt Takes Over

Spooky season might be over but doom is still looming as Ripple’s XRP falls below…

5 hours ago

This New Exchange Token Is Poised for a Price Surge Alongside Cardano and Avalanche – Analysts Predict Huge Gains This November

Three promising altcoins are causing a stir among investors this November: Avalanche (AVAX), Cardano (ADA),…

5 hours ago

With Dogecoin Dipping and TRON Holding, Is Lunex the Hottest Crypto Now?  

Everyone knows what the hottest crypto can do. When it was so hot it was…

6 hours ago

Tron Fees To Be Cut In Half Through Proposal 95, Cutoshi Surpasses $600k As TRX Investors Join CUTO Presale

The Tron network has witnessed incredible growth in several areas, especially in its adoption, which…

7 hours ago

$Pepe Whale Sell-Off And Fund Transfers Stir Volatility In Meme Coin Market

Recently, major $PEPE holder Flow Traders transferred 520 billion $PEPE tokens—worth approximately $4.73 million—from address…

15 hours ago