The ReSWARM microgravity flight experiments: Planning, control, and model estimation for on‐orbit close proximity operations
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: On‐orbit close proximity operations involve robotic spacecraft maneuvering and making decisions for a growing number of mission scenarios demanding autonomy, including on‐orbit assembly, repair, and astronaut assistance. Of these scenarios, on‐orbit assembly is an enabling technology that will allow large space structures to be built in situ, using smaller building block modules. However, like many of these scenarios, robotic on‐orbit assembly involves several technical hurdles, such as changing system models. For instance, grappled modules moved by a free‐flying “assembler” robot can cause significant changes in the combined system inertia, which have cascading impacts on motion planning and control portions of the autonomy stack. Further, on‐orbit assembly and other scenarios require collision‐avoiding motion planning, particularly when operating in a “construction site” scenario of multiple assembler robots and structures. Multiple key technologies that address these complicating factors for autonomous microgravity close proximity operations are detailed in this work, in particular: (1) application of global long‐horizon planning, accomplished using offline and online sampling‐based planner options that consider the system dynamics; (2) adaptation of the recently proposed RATTLE information‐aware planning framework for on‐orbit reconfiguration model learning; and (3) connection with robust control tools to provide low‐level control robustness using current system knowledge. These approaches were demonstrated for an autonomous on‐orbit assembly use case by the RElative Satellite sWarming and Robotic Maneuvering (ReSWARM) experiments using NASA's Astrobee robots on the International Space Station. Results of the ReSWARM experiments are provided along with significant operational and implementation detail discussing the practicalities of hardware implementation and unique aspects of working with the Astrobee free‐flyer robots in microgravity. ReSWARM provides a base set of planning and control tools for robotic close proximity operations, demonstrates them in microgravity, and outlines some of the important hardware aspects that future autonomous free‐flyers will need to consider.
Source: Journal of Field Robotics
DOI: 10.1002/rob.22308
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,430
Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, MIT Portugal, Ames Research Center, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, Space Technology Mission Directorate, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Awards: THE RISKS AND CHALLENGES OF THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT HAVE LOGICALLY LED TO PROPOSALS TO USE ROBOTS TO PERFORM TASKS FOR EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY REASONS. ROBOTIC FREE FLYERS (AUTONOMOUS OR CONTROLLABLE ROBOTS THAT OPERATE IN MICROGRAVITY LOCAL TO A HOST) HAVE MULTIPLE ONGOING RESEARCH AREAS INCLUDING AUTONOMOUS DOCKING SYSTEMS VISUAL SIMULTANEOUS LOCALIZATION AND MAPPING (SLAM) OF SPACE ENVIRONMENTS CHARACTERIZING CONTROL METHODS FOR DOCKED/CONNECTED BODIES AND THE APPLICATION OF THESE AREAS TO VARIOUS PRACTICAL SITUATIONS. THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT NEEDED TO INCREASE THE TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL (TRL) OF ROBOTIC FREE FLYERS PROMISES TO ALLOW FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF TASKS PREVIOUSLY DELEGATED TO SCARCE ASTRONAUT ON-ORBIT TIME INCREASE MISSION SAFETY AND EVEN LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR ON-ORBIT ASSEMBLY AND SERVICING TECHNIQUES. FREE FLYER RESEARCH IS LARGELY CONSTRAINED BY THE TESTBEDS AVAILABLE. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RECENT UPGRADES TO THE MIT SPHERES SATELLITES ONBOARD THE ISS IS NOT OVERSTATED IN NOTING THAT THEY PROVIDE THE WORLD S FIRST RECONFIGURABLE ON-ORBIT TESTBED OF MULTI-SATELLITE DOCKING. RELATEDLY RESEARCH INTO FREE FLYING SPACE ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS COULD WELL BE APPLIED TO THE SPHERES TESTBED. APPLICATIONS OF MANIPULATORS TO FREE FLYERS INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO PERCH TO PREVENT FREE FLOATING. THE NASA TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPS POINT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROBOTIC MOBILITY AND MANIPULATION SYSTEMS (TABS 4.2 AND 4.3). RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF THE HALO-ENABLED SPHERES TESTBED AND INTEREST IN SATELLITE/FREE FLYER MANIPULATION ACTIVITIES MY PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO INVESTIGATE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT IN FREE FLYER MANIPULATION CAPABILITY AND ITS APPLICATION IN ENHANCING BOTH IVA AND EVA MOBILITY. SPECIFICALLY THIS RESEARCH CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO THE FOLLOWING 3 OBJECTIVES: 1. DRIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIT ARM OR SIMILAR FREE FLYER MANIPULATORS 2. DESIGN ALGORITHMS FOR USEFUL IVA/EVA APPLICATIONS OF FREE FLYER MANIPULATORS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PERCHED ACTIVITY 3. VALIDATE FREE FLYER MANIPULATOR SYSTEMS THROUGH GROUND AND ON-ORBIT TEST SCENARIOS THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE MANIPULATOR DESIGNS FOR BOTH PERCHING AND GRAPPLING MANIPULATORS CREATING THE CONTROL ALGORITHMS NECESSARY FOR THEIR USE IN DOCKING AND OBJECT MANIPULATION AND TESTING THEIR SUCCESS IN GROUND ANALOGUES AND ON-ORBIT. SUITABLE ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO FULFILL BOTH THE PERCHING AND GRAPPLING ROLES FOLLOWED BY GROUND TESTS VERIFYING A SET OF CONTROL LAWS FOR MANEUVERS THAT HAVE APPLICABILITY IN FREE FLYER MOBILITY AND EVA/IVA MANIPULATION TASKS. ADDRESSING NASA TECHNOLOGY NEEDS THIS INVESTIGATION FURTHER OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND ON-ORBIT CONSTRUCTION CAPABILITY ASSIST WITH ASTRONAUT EVA/IVA ACTIVITIES AND INCREASE THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF SPACEFLIGHT OPERATIONS., Mobile manipulation using-fying robots in micro - gravity (provisório), G5688757940, G8453797156
OpenAlex ID: W4394854483