Development of enabling techniques for mobile manipulators to operate safely and reliably in unstructured human and space environments

机器人技术的重点正在扩大，并迅速从工业应用转向人类和空间应用，随之而来的是从结构化环境向非结构化环境的转移。随着机器人试图协助、服务和探索人类，这给研究带来了新的挑战。为了应对这些挑战，研究人员必须开发出与高性能移动平台集成的灵巧机械臂，以便它们协同工作。随着焦点的转移，安全也成为人们关注的问题，并呼吁采用新技术来制造安全的机器人。基于申请人研究小组最近的成就，提出的研究计划是开发能够在非结构化的人类或空间环境中安全有效地操作的移动机械手的使能技术。申请人及其课题组将综合并实验研究移动机械手的设计和控制方法：1)智能多模式开门移动机械手控制；2)灵巧安全的机载机械臂开发与控制；3)移动机器人滑移估计与补偿、翻倒预测与预防；4)星载臂辅助微漫游者空间样本采集控制；5)健康监测和故障检测，包括碰撞检测；6)移动机械手电源管理。为了解决这些具有挑战性的研究问题，拟议的研究计划将扩展和整合申请人研究小组正在开发的几种基本机器人设计和控制策略，包括多模式控制，弹簧辅助操作，基于主动特征的微型漫游车样本采集控制，滑移补偿和翻倒预防，以及基于健康监测的功率效率估计。提出的研究计划将产生创新和实用的方法来设计和控制在非结构化的人类或空间环境中工作的移动机械臂，导致高质量的研究贡献，并为地球和空间的移动机械臂问题提供实用的解决方案。本研究项目将为高素质人才提供丰富的培训机会。

The focus of robotics is expanding and shifting rapidly from industrial to human and space applications, with an attendant move from structured to unstructured environments. This creates new research challenges as robots attempt to assist, serve and explore with (and for) humans. To tackle the challenges, researchers must develop dexterous robotic arms integrated with high-performance mobile platforms so that they perform synergistically. With the shift in focus, safety has also become a concern and calls for new technologies to build safe robots. Based on recent achievements in the applicant's research group, the proposed research program is to develop enabling techniques for mobile manipulators that can operate safely and efficiently in unstructured human or space environment. The applicant and his group will synthesize and experimentally investigate mobile manipulator design and control methods for 1) intelligent multiple mode mobile manipulator control for door opening; 2) dexterous and safe onboard robotic arm development and control; 3) mobile robot slippage estimation and compensation, and tip-over prediction and prevention; 4) onboard arm assisted micro rover control for space sample acquisition; 5) health monitoring and fault detection including collision detection; and 6) mobile manipulator power management. Tackling these challenging research issues, the proposed research program will expand and integrate several fundamental robot design and control strategies that are being developed in the applicant's research group, including multiple mode control, spring assisted manipulation, active feature based control of micro rover sample acquisition, slippage compensation and tip-over prevention, and power efficiency estimation based health monitoring. The proposed research program will generate innovative and practical ways to design and control mobile manipulators for working in unstructured human or space environments, leading to high-quality research contributions and providing practical solutions to mobile manipulator problems on earth and in space. Rich training opportunities will be provided to the highly qualified personnel involved in this research program.