NASA has released a video today of their “Robonaut, “ a robot that is going into space to help astronauts not only with their daily chores outside of the spaceship, but also to keep them healthy during the trip. The robot will serve as a sort of personal assistant to the other astronauts on board, making their lives a little easier. NASA states that traveling outside of the spaceship be taxing on the astronauts, so they are teaching the robot how to take over some of the more strenuous tasks.

The video that NASA released shows the Robonaut holding a syringe, and some of his designers talking about how the robot may be able to handle medical duties for astronauts in the future, with the robot being guided by doctors back on earth, of course. The other thought that Robonaut’s designers expressed is how useful he may be in potentially dangerous environments, where it would not be safe to send humans.

There are some ways that Robonaut can help folks here on earth as well. There is talk of the robot’s body parts potentially helping stroke victims with getting some of their muscle movement back. Robonaut has arms that move and hands that can grasp, all triggered by infrared light. If this works on a robot, is there a way they can make this work on a human who has lost their ability to move these limbs? How about legs? Is there a chance these will be designed next?

If these types of robotic limbs were created for humans, the possibilities are truly endless. This could be life-changing for people who struggle after losing a limb, or even multiple limbs. Could wheelchairs become a thing of the past? Either way, I feel like Robonaut has quite an exciting future.