30-12-2010, 11:18 AM
Brian Wilcox, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Presenter)
Rob Ambrose, NASA Johnson Space Center
Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania
What is Space Robotics?:
- Space Robotics is the development of machines for the space
environment that perform Exploration, or to Assemble/Construct,
Maintain, or Service other hardware in Space.
- Humans generally control space robots locally (e.g. Space Shuttle
robotic arm) or from a great distance (e.g. Mars Exploration
Rovers)
Space Robots
Importance: Perform tasks less expensively, sooner, and/or with
less risk or more delicate "touch" than with human astronauts
- Go where people can’t go (within reason), and for long durations
- Space is a hazardous environment
- Access to space is expensive
- Robots don't need to return to Earth (which can be very costly)
NASA JPL, USA NASA JSC, USA
WTEC Robotics
How? What technology is needed?
Mobility: Need to plan paths that
move quickly and accurately from A to
B without collisions or putting robot or
worksite elements at risk.
• Manipulation arms and hands: Need
to contact worksite elements safely,
quickly, and accurately without
imparting excessive forces beyond
those needed for the task.
• Time Delay: The speed-of-light delay
between humans on Earth and the
robot is seconds in the Earth-moon
vicinity and ~30 minutes to Mars.
• Extreme Environments: Radiation,
temperature, very fine dust, etc.
• Power, communications: difficult.Example of Space Robots:
Mars Exploration Rover
• Two "robotic field geologists" have explored opposite sides
of Mars since Jan '04, traversing many kilometers each,
taking over 80,000 images and 1.5 million spectra from
multiple instruments, on both unprepared and prepared rock
samples, commanded less than once per day.
Example of Space Robots:
Robonaut
• Robonaut is an "astronaut-equivalent", highly
for more, visit:
http://docs.googleviewer?a=v&q=cache:TCBJemv05pcJ:wtecrobotics/workshop/PDF/03-SpaceRobotics-Wilcox.pdf+equipment+that+astronauts+in+space+suits+can+use;+it+can+be+teleoperated+by+nearby+humans+(e.g.+in+a+spacecraft+or+habitat),+operate&hl=en&gl=in&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESglESdgzE4nZTqDTn6jRXLpwC_OqK7ogC8fJzKqr5Mdl4vDNxLuJH72BDweXfjr6eOnLFrXWhoVUA28Y_a4m5N3bGABY_Q-_TeZwIonhRjxCrWqKu2pEOklvQrrJzSbyX5tN6gT&sig=AHIEtbSxaB7ELG6QjeL7EFv_f2czw-NUrw
