I was amazed when I piloted NASA’s Valkyrie robot

I stand in front of the most advanced robot in the world, amazed and confused by this humanoid robot, which looks like a Transformer. Star Wars Built like a Stormtrooper and with hands that could crush a beer can, NASA’s Valkyrie robot is an intimidating presence, standing 1.8 metres tall and weighing 120 kilograms.

But what fascinates me the most is the face: where the eyes, mouth and nose should be, there are cavities packed with an array of spinning and blinking sensors, including cutting-edge lidar detectors…