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

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Space Exploration
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Autonomous robotic systems are crucial for expanding space exploration and in-space infrastructure development.
• A key capability for these systems is autonomous maintenance and repair without human input.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for autonomous generation of task sequences and task allocations for robotic assembly and repair in space.
• To create an optimal assembly schedule for robotic systems operating in space.

Main Methods:

• A novel stochastic problem formulation was developed.
• A mixed integer programming assembly schedule generator was utilized.
• The formulation was tested through hardware experiments, including assembly and repair rescheduling.

Main Results:

• An optimal assembly schedule was successfully generated.
• The system demonstrated the ability to reschedule tasks for in-space repairs.
• The developed formulation proved effective in hardware experiments.

Conclusions:

• The formulation and validation provide a viable approach for autonomous in-space construction and maintenance.
• This research paves the way for future autonomous systems capable of building and maintaining space infrastructure.