CIMON is an artificial intelligence - equipped spherical golem grow by the German space agencyto assistance and accompany astronautsduring long missions . And just likeHAL 9000 , the iconic fictional AI program that serve long - haul cosmonaut in2001 : A Space Odyssey , CIMON has a bit of attitude problem .

A video posted by the European Space Agency on November 30 demonstrate CIMON ’s first real - world assessment aboard the International Space Station . Everything was going well , as Expedition 56/57 astronaut Alexander Gerst tested its colloquial accomplishment , missionary work troubleshooting ability , and autonomous navigation features . But matter get a small uncanny when Gerst askedCIMON , short for ' Crew Interactive MObile companioN ' , to play his favorite birdcall ( around the 3.06 mark below ) , which is , apparenlty quite befittingly , Man Machineby German dance orchestra Kraftwerk .

The fun commence around the 3.06 print if you ’re just here for the giggles .

When Gerst is essay to figure out why the robot wo n’t exit medicine mood and why it keeps drifting down from optic level , the equipment respond defensively , saying " Be nice , please . " It then asks " Do n’t you like it here with me ? " , before requesting " Do n’t be so mean , please . "

“ He ’s a bit tender today , ” Gerst joke to fellow cosmonaut Serena Auñón - Chancellor , who can be see laughing in the background .

Clearly , the golem ’s personality software still take tweaking , particularly if it is going to have the excited fortitude to withstand the stressors of actual place mission .

rough the size of it of a medicine ball , CIMON is basically the super high - tech version of an Amazon Alexa or Google Home , except or else of creating music playlists , looking up flick start , and telling you the weather report , it is equal to of presenting and explaining information and instructions related to a spacecraft ’s onboard system , science labor , and reparation protocols . Andcreate music playlists .

To accomplish all this , CIMON featuresa display screen , five cameras , seven mike , and 14 internal devotee – which countenance the unit to navigate in all directions in zero sombreness – encased in a 3D - publish charge plate shell . It uses the IBM Watson AI program for words inclusion , and Airbus applied science for motion planning and physical object identification .

supersonic detector spread across its surface measure the length to other objects to prevent collision . Each of the microphone act as ‘ ears ’ that detect where phone is coming from , and can recognize unlike human articulation . A speaker unit ‘ back talk ’ allows it to talk back .

" CIMON is globally unequalled in this form , " Christian Karrasch , CIMON Project Manager at the DLR Space Administration , said in a statement before this yr . " It is intended to show to what extent the astronauts ' oeuvre can be stomach in the European Columbus module on the ISS and allay them , in finical , of everyday tasks . Ideally , the astronauts could use their time better and more in effect . "

Once CIMON ’s functional tests are consummate , it will work with Gerst on three tasks meant to test its onboard equipment and problem - work capabilities . Insights gained from these experiment will help developer improve the robot to get it quick for real use .

[ H / T : Science Alert ]