Development of precise telerobotic system for unmanned spacecraft

摘要

Space robots performing precise servicing tasks in unmanned facilities will be indispensable in space activity of the 21st century. This paper presents the development of a precise telerobotic system which is the world's first preciseextravehicular robot aboard the satellite, ETS-VII. The robot has the features of skill and autonomy for handling various parts in space through a three-finger multisensory hand. Firstly, we discuss the requirements for in-orbit precise servicing by arobot and system constraints to integrate into the satellite, and present the total system design for space telerobotic experiment. Secondly, we describe the design of robot mechatronics adapt to space use. The launch lock mechanisms and reconfiguringmethod of the robot in orbit are also described. Thirdly, an architecture and design of the onboard control computer system to manage various tasks flexibly and safely are presented. Finally, the multisensory based control for precise task execution anddevelopment result of the flight model are presented. The system was launched, and initial checkout reveals the system works well in-orbit.