Autonomous Robot Planning System for In-Space Assembly of Reconfigurable Structures

Rodríguez, Ismael Pablo; Bauer, Adrian S.; Nottensteiner, Korbinian; Leidner, Daniel; Grunwald, Gerhard; Roa, Máximo A.

doi:10.1109/aero50100.2021.9438257

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The main focus of PULSAR was testing the technological viability of using a robot manipulator with SIs as end effectors for manipulating and assembling multiple parts. The project MOSAR (Modular Spacecraft Assembly and Reconfiguration) [8] developed a 7-DoF robot arm that walks over a structure made of cubic modules, representing modular components of a satellite. This project showed the feasibility of the walking manipulation technology for construction and repairing tasks using modular components.…”

Section: Autonomous Assembly In Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimization of multi-arm robot locomotion to reduce satellite disturbances during in-orbit assembly

Lutze

Schuller

Mishra

et al. 2023

2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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Traditionally, manufacturing and assembly of space assets is performed on ground before sending them into orbit. However, this monolithic approach involves high launch costs due to increasing asset sizes, e.g., large telescopes for space observation. Alternatively, in-orbit assembly of space structures after launching the raw materials to orbit opens wider possibilities at a reduced cost. Mobile robotics, such as walking manipulators or multi-arm robots, are a critical component for this approach due to their mobility in orbit. However, unlike terrestrial assembly tasks, the continuous motion of the robot and materials, coupled with the change of inertial properties of the structure, results in a rotational deviation of the platform due to conservation of angular momentum in orbit. This might violate the tolerance limits of the platform antenna's cone angle for communication with the ground stations. Although exploiting the attitude control system of the platform is a straightforward solution, it might lead to issues related to the associated actuators like reaction wheels saturation, high-frequency vibration, or high fuel consumption.To deal with this problem, in this paper we formulate the attitude disturbance problem as a minimization of the effects created by the gait of the walking manipulator. Investigating the dynamic coupling between the robot system and the space structure gives a deeper understanding of the spacecraft's behavior depending on the robot gaits. The paper proposes a controller that optimizes the forces that the robotic arm applies to the structure, hence minimizing the base rotation. As an application, we use a space structure composed of identical elements, namely the mirrors of a segmented telescope, endowed with standard interfaces to allow the robot locomotion. We show the effects of optimizing these interaction forces in various scenarios and positions on the structure through multiple dynamic simulations.

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Section: Autonomous Assembly In Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…where F r ∈ R 6 contains the wrenches acting on the robot frame, and M, C ∈ R 12×12 are the matrices of inertia and Coriolis/centrifugal terms, respectively. Note that in (11), F r creates a counter wrench on the platform due to the holonomic constraint in (8).…”

Section: Approximation Of Locomotion Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of multi-arm robot locomotion to reduce satellite disturbances during in-orbit assembly

Lutze

Schuller

Mishra

et al. 2023

2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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“…These constraints are not only related to the domain itself, but also to the own capabilities or skill sets of the robot. Following this approach, we are able to test how different failures may affect the robot task execution and how they impact the overall plan [24]. In this work we follow the same ideas, keeping the robot within the planning loop, and via simulation we measure the limitations of the system and try to optimize an action plan based on such measures.…”

Section: Hybrid Plannersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybrid Planning to Minimize Platform Disturbances during In-orbit Assembly Tasks

Rodríguez

Lutze

Mishra

et al. 2022

2022 IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO)

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In-orbit space assembly has been proposed as a method to overcome the obstacles for deployment of large spatial structures. To make such assemblies economically feasible, they must rely on robotic arms to perform the required manipulation actions. The operations with the robotic arm inevitably affect the attitude and orientation of the spacecraft. This influence is well understood for simple trajectories; however, assembly sequences for full structures require multiple repetitive motions, with and without load, which significantly affect the attitude and orbital control of the satellite. This paper analyzes such perturbations for a complex assembly task, the construction of the primary mirror for a space telescope, using a hybrid planner with two levels: a low level that considers individual motions of the robotic arm, and a high level that generates the overall assembly sequence while minimizing the perturbations created on the attitude control system. The method effectively minimizes perturbations during orbital assembly tasks, therefore minimizing fuel or energy consumption in the spacecraft.

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“…This paradigm of requiring teleoperation or even human supervised autonomy is not viable for longer distance missions Saunders et al (2017) nor for missions with increased complexity Rognant et al (2019). Because this is a newer frontier for autonomous robotics, the literature is rather sparse and there remains much to be explored and developed Rodriguez et al (2021). As such, there is currently no clearly preferred architecture for this application Nanjangud et al (2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, many of the assembly applications for in-space are not able to be fully autonomous and use manually defined task sequences Karumanchi et al (2018). A very recent work by Rodriguez et al (2021) begins to address this with a proposed system that uses a state space that tracks the state of each module in a global context and utilizes a planning architecture that uses graph search algorithms to evaluate proposed assembly sequences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Autonomous Task Assignment Paradigm for Autonomous Robotic In-Space Assembly

et al. 2022

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The development of autonomous robotic systems is a key component in the expansion of space exploration and the development of infrastructures for in-space applications. An important capability for these robotic systems is the ability to maintain and repair structures in the absence of human input by autonomously generating valid task sequences and task to robot allocations. To this end, a novel stochastic problem formulation paired with a mixed integer programming assembly schedule generator has been developed to articulate the elements, constraints, and state of an assembly project and solve for an optimal assembly schedule. The developed formulations were tested with a set of hardware experiments that included generating an optimal schedule for an assembly and rescheduling during an assembly to plan a repair. This formulation and validation work provides a path forward for future research in the development of an autonomous system capable of building and maintaining in-space infrastructures.

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Autonomous Robot Planning System for In-Space Assembly of Reconfigurable Structures

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Optimization of multi-arm robot locomotion to reduce satellite disturbances during in-orbit assembly

Optimization of multi-arm robot locomotion to reduce satellite disturbances during in-orbit assembly

Hybrid Planning to Minimize Platform Disturbances during In-orbit Assembly Tasks

An Autonomous Task Assignment Paradigm for Autonomous Robotic In-Space Assembly

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