A Method of Human-Like Compliant Assembly Based on Variable Admittance Control for Space Maintenance

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Space Operations
• Control Systems Engineering

Background:

• On-orbit assembly is vital for space missions, but traditional robot manipulator control struggles with complex tasks and vibrations, often causing failures.
• Existing control methods lack the adaptability required for diverse assembly operations and are susceptible to environmental disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel human-like variable admittance control method for robot manipulators to improve on-orbit assembly.
• To enhance the adaptability, safety, and robustness of robotic systems in complex space assembly tasks.

Main Methods:

• Collected human arm velocity and contact force data during assembly to analyze damping characteristics.
• Developed an active compliance model based on an S-type damping variation rule and three passive contact models (one-sided bevel, both sides bevel, pin-hole).
• Designed a space assembly task, implemented a human-like variable admittance controller, and performed simulations and ground-based verification.

Main Results:

• Successfully simulated and verified a human-like variable admittance controller for space assembly tasks.
• Demonstrated the controller's safety, robustness, and adaptability through ground verification platform experiments.
• The proposed method effectively addresses limitations of traditional manipulator control in complex assembly scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The human-like variable admittance control method offers a significant improvement for on-orbit assembly operations.
• This approach enhances robot manipulator performance by mimicking human arm compliance, leading to more reliable space missions.
• The developed controller provides a robust solution for complex robotic assembly tasks in the challenging space environment.