Planetary Robotic System Design

Abstract

IntroductionAt the inception of a new mission concept, the system design of a spacecraft (planetary robots included) is a critical phase that should not be overlooked. Galvanized by the prospects of an exciting concept, it is often tempting to delve too quickly into subsystem design, at the peril of the mission and its development team. Identification of key links, interactions, and ramifications of design decisions are crucial to the feasibility of the concept and success of the mission. Only then can the optimized system design be found, which may not be the sum of the optimized subsystems.Building on a comprehensive review of existing and future planetary robotic missions, this chapter uses the system engineering design philosophy and discusses the mission-driven design considerations, the system-level design drivers as well as the subsystem design trade-offs for a robotic system, whether the mission is set to explore the lunar craters, the Martian landscape, or beyond. It demonstrates the design thought process starting from the mission concept up to the baseline design at the system and subsystem levels. As a result, the chapter offers a number of system design tools as the foundation or integrator for technologies discussed in subsequent chapters.The chapter is structured systematically as follows:• Section 2.2: This section describes in detail the system design approach and implementation steps applicable to planetary robotic missions and required robotic systems. The process starts from defining the mission scenario, which provides inputs for system-level functional analysis and determination of functional objectives for the robot(s). This then allows the progression to the next phase of the system definition by specifying and reviewing design requirements (e.g., using the S.M.A.R.T. method). Design drivers are subsequently identified and used to evaluate and trade-off different design choices, which results in the baseline design.

Modular Mechatronics Infrastructure for robotic planetary exploration assets in a field operation scenario

“…The VDI 2206 Standard [20] highlights that several macro-cycles might occur to increase the maturity of the system. This approach is foreseen as the V&V method in [21] with the recognition of robotic and autonomous systems complexity in planetary robotics.…”