NASA's humanoid Robonaught set for work on Woodside Petroleum's WA projects

A West Australian oil and gas company will use a NASA humanoid robot to explore how the technology could be used to improve safety, reliability and efficiency in high-risk and remote environments.

Woodside Petroleum today announced it was being loaned NASA's Robonaught, a "highly dextrous" anthropomorphic machine for five years for deployment in Perth.

In August last year, the company announced the development of their own AI unit, to become more productive in the face of tumbling oil prices.

NASA's robots are designed for use in extreme conditions, such as on the International Space Station.

They perform tasks such as changing air filters in dangerous and extreme conditions, and are equipped with the ability to learn how to complete an assigned task without human direction.

Robonaut arrives mid-year and will remain in Perth until 2022.

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