Gitai wants to build a robotic labor force for the moon and Mars

There is a groundswell of commercial space initiatives focused on the moon, with established companies and newer upstarts all seeking to transform that cold, grey rock into a thriving hub for scientific and industrial activity. But that future will likely be impossible without a suite of robotic helpers.

Tokyo-based startup Gitai thinks autonomous robots, instead of human labor, can and should be used to make this vision a reality. The company thinks robots could be used for many activities in space – from assembly to inspection to conducting routine maintenance. To that end, the company has developed a robotic arm and a robotic rover for in-space applications.