Compliant robotic behaviors for satellite servicing.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Space Exploration Engineering

Background:

• Traditional industrial robots require precision and speed.
• Space robots must handle environmental uncertainties, communication delays, and dynamics, similar to astronauts.
• Compliant robotics and behavior-based programming are well-suited for space applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate Pose Target Wrench Limiting (PTWL), a compliant behavior paradigm tailored for space robotics.
• To demonstrate PTWL's effectiveness in managing uncertainties and communication issues inherent in space operations.

Main Methods:

• PTWL controls robots by guiding a virtual attractor to a target pose using virtual forces from an admittance controller.
• The robot follows the attractor until safety conditions are breached or success criteria are met.
• PTWL was tested on various quasi-static tasks relevant to future space operations.

Main Results:

• PTWL proved to be a powerful tool for space robotics tasks.
• The method significantly enhanced the ease and safety of teleoperation for quasi-static tasks.
• PTWL facilitated the development of semi-autonomous state machines for reliable complex task completion with minimal human input.

Conclusions:

• PTWL is highly effective for space robotics, addressing challenges like communication delays and environmental uncertainties.
• The paradigm simplifies teleoperation and enables semi-autonomous control, reducing astronaut workload.
• PTWL represents a significant advancement for robotic operations in space environments.