Japan's Humanoid Communication Robot

Humanoid communication robot Kirobo holds a Japanese national flag as it speaks a message, during a session to check the success of its first conveyance into space, at the International Space Station (ISS), in this handout photo taken August 21, 2013 and released by Kibo Robot Project on September 5, 2013.

Jointly developed by Dentsu Inc, the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Robo Garage Co., and Toyota, the robot astronaut, called Kirobo, was carried aboard the Kounotori 4 cargo spacecraft launched by a H-2B rocket from Japan on August 4, 2013, and arrived at the ISS on August 10. 

Kirobo will help Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will reach the ISS later this year, conduct experiments in space. 

The robot's first message in space was, "On August 21, 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all"