The devices are intended to perform some of the photo-video documentation tasks aboard the ISS, reducing the workload of the station's crew.
[4][5] The Int-Ball naturally floats in the station's zero-gravity environment, allowing it to maneuver freely within the ISS.
The device contains 3 reaction wheels and an array of 12 small electric fans mounted on the ball's outer surface.
[3] The robotic photo-video documentation duties that the Int-Ball performs have been likened by some to the types of responsibilities that the fictional R2-D2 of the Star Wars movie series appeared to undertake.
It was launched with the SpaceX CRS-28 resupply mission,[8] and underwent the first test flight aboard the ISS on October 17, 2023.