Autonomous rendezvous and robotic capturing of non-cooperative target in space

The technologies of autonomous rendezvous and robotic capturing of non-cooperative targets are very crucial for the future on-orbital service. In this paper, we proposed a method to achieve this aim. Three problems were addressed: the target recognition and pose (position and attitude) measurement based on the stereo vision, the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) of the chaser, and the coordinated plan and control of space robot (CP&C). The pose measurement algorithm includes image filtering, edge detection, line extraction, stereo match and pose computing, et al. Based on the measured values, a certain GNC algorithm was designed for the chaser to approach and rendezvous with the target. Then the CP&C algorithm, which is proved to be advantageous over the traditional separated method, was used to plan and track the trajectories of the base pose and the joint angle. At last, a 3D simulation system was developed to evaluate the proposed method. Simulation results verified the corresponding algorithms.

[1]  Cheng Li,et al.  A Chinese Small Intelligent Space Robotic System for On-Orbit Servicing , 2006, 2006 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[2]  Alin Albu-Schäffer,et al.  DLR's robotics technologies for on-orbit servicing , 2004, Adv. Robotics.

[3]  S. Ali A. Moosavian,et al.  Free-flying robots in space: an overview of dynamics modeling, planning and control , 2007, Robotica.

[4]  Darrell K. Root,et al.  Space Robotics: Dynamics and Control , 1996 .

[5]  Klaus Landzettel,et al.  Space Robotics—DLR's Telerobotic Concepts, Lightweight Arms and Articulated Hands , 2003, Auton. Robots.

[6]  Kazuya Yoshida,et al.  Impedance Control for Free-flying Space Robots -Basic Equations and Applications- , 2006, 2006 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[7]  Vincenzo Paciello,et al.  A Comparison Between Stereo-Vision Techniques for the Reconstruction of 3-D Coordinates of Objects , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.

[8]  Tom Davis,et al.  Opengl programming guide: the official guide to learning opengl , 1993 .

[9]  Robert J. Wood,et al.  Towards a 3g crawling robot through the integration of microrobot technologies , 2006, Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006..

[10]  James Shoemaker,et al.  Orbital express space operations architecture program , 2003, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[11]  Kazuya Yoshida,et al.  Impact analysis and post-impact motion control issues of a free-floating Space robot subject to a force impulse , 1999, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[12]  Steven Dubowsky,et al.  On the nature of control algorithms for free-floating space manipulators , 1991, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[13]  Stephen Kemble,et al.  Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft , 2007 .

[14]  T. Weismuller,et al.  GN&C Technology Demonstrated by the Orbital Express Autonomous Rendezvous and Capture Sensor System , 2006 .

[15]  Kazuya Yoshida,et al.  Engineering Test Satellite VII Flight Experiments for Space Robot Dynamics and Control: Theories on Laboratory Test Beds Ten Years Ago, Now in Orbit , 2003, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[16]  Robert M. Sanner,et al.  Accurate State Estimation and Tracking of a Non-Cooperative Target Vehicle , 2006 .

[17]  Wen-Chung Chang.  Binocular vision-based 3-D trajectory following for autonomous robotic manipulation , 2007, Robotica.

[18]  Milan Sonka,et al.  Image Processing, Analysis and Machine Vision , 1993, Springer US.

[19]  Wigbert Fehse,et al.  Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft , 2003 .

[20]  Alin Albu-Schäffer,et al.  Robotic On-Orbit Servicing - DLR's Experience and Perspective , 2006, 2006 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[21]  Lu Lu,et al.  High precision camera calibration in vision measurement , 2007 .

[22]  Yu Liu,et al.  Autonomous target capturing of free-floating space robot: Theory and experiments , 2009, Robotica.

[23]  Mitsushige Oda.  Space robot experiments on NASDA's ETS-VII satellite-preliminary overview of the experiment results , 1999, Proceedings 1999 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.99CH36288C).

[24]  L. Kerstein,et al.  ROGER - Robotic Geostationary Orbit Restorer , 2003 .

[25]  Oda Mitsushige.  Motion control of the satellite mounted robot arm which assures satellite attitude stability , 1997 .

[26]  Kazuya Yoshida,et al.  Dynamics, control and impedance matching for robotic capture of a non-cooperative satellite , 2004, Adv. Robotics.