Japan Plans to Hold an AI Robot Competition on the International Space Station as Early as 2027, to Cultivate the Next Generation of Space Engineers

According to Nikkei Asia, Japan plans to hold an artificial intelligence robot competition on the International Space Station as early as 2027. Teams will control robots inside the space station using artificial intelligence, in order to cultivate the next generation of space engineers.

The competition is organized by the "Space AI Robotics Association" (SAIRA), based in Tokyo. The association was established in July this year, aiming to develop technologies in the fields of space exploration, artificial intelligence, robotics, and simulation through cooperation with universities, research institutions, and companies.

Qualifying rounds in ground simulators, finals on the "Kibo"

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to hold the final round as early as 2027 in the Japanese "Kibo" module of the International Space Station. The competition will first take place in ground-based simulated space station environments for the qualifying rounds, testing AI models, with winning teams moving on to the final round on the space station.

Participants need to develop "physical AI" models to control the spherical robot drone Int-Ball2, which is stored in the Kibo module. Int-Ball2 is designed to take photos and videos in the low-gravity environment of the space station, replacing astronauts.