Actuation delay compensation of robots in semi-physical test

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft engineering
• Robotics
• Control systems

Background:

• Traditional spacecraft semi-physical docking tests require specialized, expensive equipment like custom actuators and hydraulic systems.
• These specialized systems are necessary to meet the stringent dynamic response requirements for evaluating docking and separation performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a novel, cost-effective spacecraft docking test platform using readily available industrial components.
• To introduce and evaluate an actuation delay compensation method to enhance the performance of the new test platform.

Main Methods:

• Development of a docking test platform utilizing a general-purpose industrial manipulator equipped with 3-D force and 3-D torque sensors.
• Implementation of an actuation delay compensation algorithm to mitigate performance degradation caused by system lags.
• Validation of the proposed method through simulation studies.

Main Results:

• The novel platform is demonstrated to be well-assembled and cost-effective compared to traditional setups.
• Simulations indicate that the actuation delay compensation method significantly improves the performance of the docking test platform.
• The proposed method shows promising results in addressing actuation delay challenges in semi-physical docking tests.

Conclusions:

• A novel, cost-effective spacecraft docking test platform has been successfully designed using industrial manipulators and advanced sensors.
• The integration of an actuation delay compensation method offers a viable solution for improving the accuracy and reliability of semi-physical docking tests.
• The developed platform and compensation technique represent a significant advancement for spacecraft docking performance evaluation.