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Case Study On Space Robotics

The document discusses space robotics technologies being developed by NASA. It describes robotic explorers like rovers, landers, and aerovehicles used to study planets, comets, and asteroids. Space manipulators and servicing robots are discussed that assist astronauts or repair satellites. New technologies introduced include various Mars rovers and lunar rovers, comet landers, and the EGP mobile manipulation system prototype. Diagrams show a rover undergoing testing and robotic arms used on the space shuttle and ISS.

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Abhishek Deokar
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254 views

Case Study On Space Robotics

The document discusses space robotics technologies being developed by NASA. It describes robotic explorers like rovers, landers, and aerovehicles used to study planets, comets, and asteroids. Space manipulators and servicing robots are discussed that assist astronauts or repair satellites. New technologies introduced include various Mars rovers and lunar rovers, comet landers, and the EGP mobile manipulation system prototype. Diagrams show a rover undergoing testing and robotic arms used on the space shuttle and ISS.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Deokar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Case Study: Space Robotics

CASE STUDY ON
SPACE ROBOTIC
1. OBJECTIVE:
The basic objective of these all research papers and review paper is to Study new
technologies and give information about the advancements in the space robotics.

Robots in Space: U.S. Missions and Technology Requirements into the Next Century
(1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers)

The Telerobotics Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


(NASA) Office of Space Science was developing innovative telerobotics technologies to
enable or support a wide range of space missions. In this paper the brief information of
those telerobotic technologies.
The focus of the present paper is on the space robotics technologies under development
by NASA, which will enable missions to explore Mars, Venus, and Saturn’s moon Titan,
as well as scientific probes to sample comets and small bodies like comets and asteroids.

Space robotics supporting exploration missions: vision, force control and


coordination strategy for crew assistants (Springer-Verlag 2010)

This work presents some results obtained within the development of an effective robotic
crew assistant. This robot can execute a number of operations, both in a completely
autonomous manner (i.e. without requiring human supervision) and in a strict cooperation
with the astronauts
The developed and then adopted functional and algorithmic control architecture for the
considered robot assistant, also including vision and force feedback, is described with
some details in the present paper.

Space Robotics and its Challenges (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013)

This chapter reviews types of robots used in space, their main design features and
possible applications. Brief review of space manipulators and space robots is presented
and discussed.

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Case Study: Space Robotics

2. MAJOR ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN


DISCUSSED IN JOURNAL:
1. Space researchers need lightweight robots and technologies to study the different
planets, comets and asteroids, lunar activities etc.
2. This is not possible for human to do all these things by themselves, like the time to
time taking photographs of the space activities going on the planets and in the space.
3. It is also necessary to have the free-flying and platform-attached robots for servicing
satellites and large platforms in Earth orbit, because it is not feasible for human to always
go to that particular place in the space for repairing, where the problem happened.
4. Some operations during the space missions would be very difficult or unfeasible to be
accomplished.
5. The main problem in robotic manipulators is the positioning of its end-point. Link and
joint flexibilities may introduce bending and vibrations that would cause instability in
control systems. Control strategies developed for flexible robots are very complex and
difficult to execute in real-time. [3]
6. Missions to Mars and the return to the Moon are being planned, and this will most
probably require the availability of intelligent robotic systems capable of autonomously
and independently executing commanded tasks, as well as capable of actively interacting
and cooperating with the astronauts, to the aim of assisting them during the execution of
specific operations. [2]

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Case Study: Space Robotics

3. NEW TECHNOLOGY OR TOPIC IS


INTRODUCED:
1) Robotic Explorers:
Robotic explorers and science gatherers being developed by NASA are of three types:
rovers, landers, and aerovehicles (Capps, 1995). Rovers are robotic vehicles designed for
mobile surface operations. They are delivered to a planet’s or moon’s surface by a lander
vehicle, which is stationary at the landing site. Aerovehicles, also called aerobots,
navigate in the atmosphere of a planet and can visit multiple sites of interest on the
surface. [1]
i. Mars Rovers and Landers
ii. Commercial Lunar Rovers
iii. Comet and Small-Body Landers and Sampling Systems
iv. Aerovehicles
2) Space Manipulators:
i. Remote Manipulator System (RMS) used on board of Space Shuttle
ii. Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS)
iii. Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM).
3) Servicing and Assembly Robots:
Robots are being developed to service satellites and large platforms in Earth orbit. These
robots are free- flying and platform-attached. Target applications include such tasks as
remote surface inspection of orbiting platforms using telerobotic systems, and
autonomous manipulator systems for free-flying service. Other robots will assist
astronauts in in-orbit assembly operations.
i. Space Station
ii. Next-Generation Servicing and Assembly Robots
4) EGP mobile manipulation system:
Eurobot Ground Prototype (EGP) project, jointly conducted by the European Space
Agency (ESA) and Thales Alenia Space company
ESA has been established with the aim of developing and testing such autonomous and
cooperative capabilities on a mobile manipulator system, whenever inserted within a test
background specifically designed to be fully representative of a real space exploration
scenario[2]

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Case Study: Space Robotics

4. SPECIFIC EXAMPLE WITH DIAGRAM:

Fig. Rover undergoing testing in simulated Mars landscape. [1]

EGP end-effectors

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Case Study: Space Robotics

Fig. Sejourner Rover (courtesy of www.nasa.jpl.gov)

Fig. RMS viewed from the shuttle cargo bay (courtesy of www.csa.ca )

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Case Study: Space Robotics

5. CONCLUSION

1) Space robotics is one of the most important technologies that enable human exploration
of outer space.
2) The Space Robotics Challenge is a virtual competition to advance robotic software and
autonomous capabilities for space exploration missions on the surface of extraterrestrial
objects, such as distant planets or moons.
3) Sending a robot to space is also much cheaper than sending a human.
4) Robots can survive in space for many years and can be left out there
5) Robots can do lots of things that humans can't. Some can withstand harsh conditions, like
extreme temperatures or high levels of radiation.
6) NASA uses robots in many different ways. Robotic arms on spacecraft can move large
objects in space. Robotic spacecraft can visit other worlds. 
7) Robotic airplanes can fly without a pilot aboard.
6. REFERENCES
[1] Charles R. Weisbin, Robots in Space: U.S. Missions and Technology Requirements into the
Next Century, Kluwer Academic Publishers 1997, 159–173

[2] Enrica Zereik, Andrea Sorbara, Space robotics supporting exploration missions: vision, force
control and coordination strategy for crew assistants, Springer-Verlag 2010, 39-60

[3] Jerzy Sa˛siadek, Space Robotics and its Challenges, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013,

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