NASA has chosen lithium ion battery company Boston-Power Inc. to supply battery systems for a proposed project to land a humanoid robot on the moon, the company announced.
The batteries would provide power for the robot, known as Robonaut 2 or R2, according to Boston-Power. The Westborough-based company said it would deliver a 2.5-kilowatt energy storage system, which includes the company’s Swing battery system, as well as an integrated battery management system. The proposed project, dubbed Project M, seeks to land the robot on the moon in 1,000 days.
R2 was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors and could support astronauts working in dangerous environments and on repetitious tasks. The robot is capable of performing a wide range of human skills and motions, and it is the second generation of humanoid robots created for space travel.
“As the field of advanced robotics continues to push the envelope in terms of capability and functionality, the need for safe, reliable and long-lasting battery technology becomes more crucial,” said Christina Lampe-Önnerud, founder and CEO of the company, in the announcement.
As part of the initiative, Boston-Power and NASA have entered into a Space Act Agreement for the development of an advanced, environmentally sustainable lithium ion battery pack capable of being mass produced for NASA performance and proof-of-concept testing activities, according to Boston-Power.
The packs will be tested at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for possible integration into an advanced space vehicle as part of the Lunar Lander project, Boston-Power said.
The company’s batteries are being used in some HP laptops, while ASUS has announced it would ship a new line of business notebooks powered by Boston-Power’s Sonata battery pack.
In transportation, Boston-Power has deals to supply batteries to several electric vehicle projects, including the ZE Saab 9-3, Saab’s planned all-electric vehicle, according to Lampe-Önnerud.
The company has also entered the utility energy storage market and plans to announce some of its customers in that market later this year, Lampe-Önnerud said.
Boston-Power recently disclosed in a regulatory filing that it had added $6.4 million to its previously announced Series E round of $60 million.
