JAXA's Internal Ball Camera-2 floats inside the Japan Experiment Module (JEM) aboard the International Space Station as it is tested for its ability to autonomously capture photos and video of the station's crew at work. (Image credit: JAXA/Takuya Onishi)What's black and white and can see you when you float? Japan's Internal Ball Camera-2: an experimental free-flying robot designed to take photos and video of the astronauts onboard the Earth, but is also equipped with an Epson-designed inertial measurement unit (IMU) that when used in collaboration with a visual location and mapping system, enables the ball to maintain its orientation and navigate through the space station.
These onboard systems also allow Int-Ball2 to autonomously dock to its battery charging station.
With the lights dimmed inside the International Space Station's Kibo Japan experiment module, the "blue eyes" of the Internal Camera Ball-2 robot glow, allowing it to both navigate and capture imagery of the ISS crew. (Image credit: JAXA/Takuya Onishi)Where can I learn more?
You can read about the first generation Int-Ball that was deployed in 2017.