Valkyrie, named after a female figure in Norse mythology and being tested at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is designed to operate in "degraded or damaged human-engineered environments," like areas hit by natural disasters, according to NASA.

By Evan Garcia

HOUSTON/AUSTIN, Texas, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (188 centimeters) tall and weighing 300 pounds (136 kilograms), NASA's humanoid robot Valkyrie is an imposing figure.

Valkyrie, named after a female figure in Norse mythology and being tested at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is designed to operate in "degraded or damaged human-engineered environments," like areas hit by natural disasters, according to NASA.

But robots like her could also one day operate in space.

A humanoid robot resembles a person, typically with a torso, head, two arms and two legs. Engineers believe with the right software, humanoid robots will eventually be able to function similarly to humans and use the same tools and equipment.