ESA sends floating robot with a face to the ISS to help astronauts cope with life in space

This week, astronauts on the International Space Station got a new helper that goes by the nickname'Simon.' More formally known as Crew Interactive Mobile Companion 2 (CIMON 2), Simon was developed in a joint project by IBM's Watson team, Airbus, and the German Aerospace Center. The Crew Interactive Mobile Companion 2 (CIMON 2, pronounced'Simon,' pictured above) will help astronauts conduct experiments and talk through their feelings The robotic helper was delivered to the ISS on SpaceX's Dragon capsule launched from Cape Canaveral this week. Last year, an earlier model of CIMON was sent to the ISS, but the new version has been updated with AI enhancements that IBM says will make it more'emotionally intelligent.' 'The overall goal is to really create a true companion,' IBM's Matthias Biniok told ABC. 'The relationship between an astronaut and CIMON is really important.'