Real-Time Docking Ring Detection Based on the Geometrical Shape for an On-Orbit Spacecraft

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft engineering
• Computer vision
• Robotics

Background:

• Accurate detection of spacecraft docking rings is crucial for automated rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking.
• Existing methods may lack the real-time performance and robustness required for on-orbit applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel, real-time method for detecting docking rings on spacecraft based on their geometric properties.
• To improve the reliability and efficiency of automated spacecraft docking procedures.

Main Methods:

• Extraction and classification of arcs from edge masks based on direction and convexity.
• Development of an arc selection strategy to identify potential elliptical structures.
• Least squares fitting for ellipse parameter estimation and validation against edge pixels.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrates superior performance compared to state-of-the-art techniques.
• Achieved real-time detection capabilities suitable for on-orbit operations.
• The method showed robustness in identifying docking rings.

Conclusions:

• The developed arc-based ellipse fitting method provides an effective solution for real-time docking ring detection.
• This technology significantly benefits automated spacecraft capture, rendezvous, and docking.
• The approach is adaptable for other applications involving circular object detection.