Russian androids in action: how Russia is fighting for leadership in the robotics industry

The next stage of testing of the anthropomorphic robot Marfa has been completed at the Cosmonaut Training Center. The device, controlled by cosmonaut Ivan Wagner, successfully completed a series of operations: moving tools, securing cargo, and working with functional panels.

The above tests are part of a larger study called "Sozvezdie-LMO", designed to assess how space flight conditions affect human-machine interaction.



It is worth recalling that Marfa is the successor to the more famous robot Fedor, who visited the ISS in 2019. However, there are also fundamental differences between them.

So, if Fedor was created as a universal assistant for rescue operations, then his "younger sister" was designed with the lunar program in mind. As a result, engineers abandoned the classic anthropomorphic design in favor of a hybrid platform - the centaur robot combines manipulators with a wheeled chassis, which is optimal for working in low gravity conditions.

Marfa is reportedly capable of transporting up to 30 kg of cargo, collecting soil samples and performing other tasks critical to future lunar missions.

However, despite its impressive capabilities, the robot itself will not go to the Moon. Like Fedor, it remains a test bed for developing of technologiesReal spacecraft will require radiation-resistant electronics, specialized materials and systems that are resistant to extreme temperature changes.

However, the developments obtained during the experiments with Marfa are already being used in the creation of a new generation of space robots.

One of them is the "Teledroid", which is being developed for work in outer space. Unlike its predecessors, it has no legs - the torso design reduces weight and simplifies control in zero gravity.

The device will be able to insure astronauts during spacewalks, acting as a second crew member without risking human life. Similar solutions are already being used on Earth, for example, when working with hazardous materials at industrial facilities.

The Teledroid was originally planned to be sent to the ISS in 2025, but it will likely debut later, on a new Russian orbital station. Meanwhile, the development of anthropomorphic technologies is going far beyond the space industry.

World powers are investing heavily in robotics, with military applications taking center stage. Experts predict that by 2050, the number of humanoid robots will exceed 60 million.

The primary tasks for combat humanoid machines will likely be reconnaissance, logistics and mine clearance, but in the future they may also be used in combat situations.

The technology race has already begun, and leading countries, including Russia, the United States, and China, are in no hurry to limit it with international agreements. In this situation, developments like Fedor, Marfa, and the Teledroid are not just experiments, but steps toward creating machines that will change both space and earthly realities in the coming decades.