The two robots CIMON from DLR and Int-Ball2 from the Japanese space agency JAXA on board the International Space Station ISS have communicated with each other for the first time in the ICHIBAN experiment. ICHIBAN is Japanese and stands for the first, i.e. the first experiment of its kind in space. The special thing about it is that the two systems are not designed to be able to do this. New standards therefore had to be developed to close this gap. Another hurdle was that the robots are connected to different ISS networks. In addition, the experiment was developed jointly by two space agencies across several languages.

During the experiment, Japanese astronaut Takuya Ōnishi spoke to CIMON in the European Columbus module. He used his voice commands to control the Int-Ball2 flying camera in the Japanese Kibo module. Once the astronaut had familiarized himself with the Int-Ball2 controls, he located a number of objects inside the Kibo module and photographed them. The items were previously hidden here. These included a Rubik's cube and standard tools on board the ISS such as hammers and screwdrivers as well as Int-Ball1, the predecessor of the current Int-Ball2. For this purpose, the camera image of Int-Ball2, which is normally only visible on Earth in the Japanese control center, was streamed to the CIMON display.

What sounds simple at first is a first in space. Not only did two systems that were never designed for this purpose have to interact with each other, but the high safety standards of the ISS also had to be met. They do not normally allow communication across the boundaries of the various networks in the different modules of the ISS.

"The ICHIBAN demonstration on the ISS in cooperation with our colleagues at JAXA represents a significant milestone in space robotics. The first-ever communication between the independently developed CIMON and Int-Ball2 systems paves the way for the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics in exploration. This achievement will significantly improve support for astronauts," says Dr. Christian Rogon, ICHIBAN project manager at the German Space Agency at DLR.

Both systems could work together in the future to support experiments and document them photographically. They could also use a camera to inspect the interior of the ISS for defects. They could also detect free-floating objects that could pose a danger to the crew and the experiments on board.

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