The New Robonaut R2 Man- It Can Even Pump Iron -  But NASA says it can easily and safely work along with Humans  who know May be in Future it will do Karate also..

I can recall that Robo Cop Series which I used to watch in my childhood, where semi man-robo will fight bad guys. Also the Terminator type movies which shows no difference between men and machine and fightings between them for domination  Pretty interesting stuff. Man made machines to reduce his burden of physical and mental work and now making advanced Human looking (Humanoid) robots whose anatomy is just like man.A humanoid robot (click here for Wikipedia Article) is a robot with its overall appearance, based on that of the human body, allowing interaction with made-for-human tools or environments. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots may model only part of the body, for example, from the waist up. Now the Giants of Technology NASA ad GM came together to make advance robots.

Update

NASA will launch the first human-like robot to space later this year to become a permanent resident of the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they are astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.

NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries. Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM worked together through a Space Act Agreement at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants.

Release Video

This is the release video Of R2 the advance humanoid robot. It shows various capabilities of the robots wide open your eyes to see this robot doing all complex tasks( My God It Even Writes .

The R2

In a press relase of NASA it says -- The two organizations, with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, developed and built the next iteration of Robonaut ( ROBOT+ ASTONAUT) . Robonaut 2, or R2, is a faster, more dexterous and more technologically advanced robot. This new generation robot can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid machines. R2 can work safely alongside people, a necessity both on Earth and in space.  "This cutting-edge robotics technology holds great promise, not only for NASA, but also for the nation," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "I'm very excited about the new opportunities for human and robotic exploration these versatile robots provide across a wide range of applications."  

The idea of using dexterous, human-like robots capable of using their hands to do intricate work is not new to the aerospace industry. The original Robonaut, a humanoid robot designed for space travel, was built by the software, robotics and simulation division at Johnson in a collaborative effort with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency 10 years ago. During the past decade, NASA gained significant expertise in building robotic technologies for space applications. These capabilities will help NASA launch a bold new era of space exploration.

There are lot of humanoid robots under development around the Globe like Honda's Asimo, Sony's Crio etc..

So the Era of Machines is not much far away. And may be the war of Man and Machines may also be not far away  Any way I seriously need a humanoid robot- my house is a big mess and I do want to set it right and for watering plants around my home.... NASA, Please Gift me one Please Please.....

For more Information GO TO NASA ( I mean NASA website  )-> http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/