Autonomous and Opportunistic Capture of Large, Uncooperative Free-Floating Objects using a Robotic Manipulator

使用机器人操纵器自主和机会主义捕获大型、不合作的自由漂浮物体

• 批准号: 405665-2011
• 负责人: Persson, Mikael
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=515563
• 关键词: Autonomous; Opportunistic; Capture; Large; Uncooperative

Most people know it is extremely expensive to send a new satellite in space, and that manned spaceflights present enormous risks. But most people are not aware how crowded space is. With short-lived satellites and more than 50 years of space launches, the cluttering of defunct satellites and used rockets are jeopardizing space activities in the coming decades. Two solutions are being discussed: extending the life of satellites with on-orbit servicing to produce less debris and the active removal of existing debris. The research project proposed here aims to provide a technology that is critical to both of these solutions: a means to grab or dock to large objects in orbit without a human operator directly involved. For this purpose, a facility, unique in Canada, at the Aerospace Mechatronics Laboratory, can reproduce the scenario of two spacecrafts at a reaching distance of each other. On one side, a mobile robotic arm plays the role of the service spacecraft, while a special helium balloon emulates a large free-floating object in orbit. This unique test-bed allows for hands-on testing of the methods destined for space: a key qualifying step between theoretical models and real applications. New behavior-based software will be developed to allow the robotic arm to observe, approach and grasp the tumbling airship as it quickly passes by a reachable area. A driver of innovation will be interdisciplinary synergy at the Center for Intelligent Machines at McGill. On Earth, this research will impact the development of flexible solutions for robots in industry that can better co-exist with their human counter-parts, but also for robots of our future everyday-life. In space, from the Canadarm to the key role of Canadian systems on the International Space Station today, the Canadian space industry has proven its capacity for innovation and international cooperation in space robotics, let us hold this leadership role and secure a sustainable future on Earth and in orbit.

大多数人都知道，向太空发射一颗新卫星是极其昂贵的，而且载人航天飞行存在巨大的风险。但大多数人都没有意识到空间有多拥挤。由于卫星寿命较短，加之太空发射已有50多年的历史，报废卫星和使用过的火箭的杂乱将危及未来几十年的太空活动。目前正在讨论两种解决办法：通过在轨服务延长卫星的寿命，以减少碎片的产生和积极清除现有碎片。这里提出的研究项目旨在提供一种对这两种解决方案都至关重要的技术：一种在没有人类操作员直接参与的情况下抓取或对接轨道上的大型物体的方法。