Development of a Novel End-Effector for an On-Orbit Robotic Refueling Mission

Abstract

At present, the space station on-orbit service is still rapidly developing, and on-orbit refueling operation has not been fully realized. During the process of an on-orbit robotic refueling mission, the pipe disconnectors are artificially docked, and the problems of low efficiency and a long operation period are common. From the perspective of bionics, this paper studies the kinematics of the upper limbs in the manual docking process of the pipeline quick disconnector and analyses the redundant degrees of freedom in the manual docking process. In this paper, without changing the original structure of the quick disconnector, a five-degrees-of-freedom multifunctional end-effector imitating the human hand with a compact structure and a light weight was created, which can realize the automatic docking of the quick disconnector in the pipeline. The quick disconnector docking in the refueling system is simplified from the original manual, twohanded operation to a single-end-effector operation with a single mechanical arm. Compared with a dual-arm robot, a single-arm robot has the advantages of internal force sealing, a stable structure, a higher docking accuracy and a lower cost. The common rigid body contact collision dynamics problem is thus studied. The contact dynamics model between the ''quick disconnector and the robot end-effector'' is established by the equivalent spring damping model method. The experimental prototype was developed according to the structure of the end-effector to complete the construction of the refueling robot experimental platform. A simulation and experiment were conducted to verify the advantages and effectiveness of the structure. INDEX TERMS On-orbit servicing, robotic refueling mission, end-effector, imitating human hand, collision dynamics analysis.

Novel Method of Obstacle Avoidance Planning for Redundant Sliding Manipulators

“…The proposed method in this study still needs further investigation. Future works can be conducted from the following aspects: obstacle detection sensor or vision sensor can be used for real-time control in an unstructured environment, and dynamic methods can be applied to ensure that the torque remains within the limit during obstacle avoidance for real applications, such as in space [34]- [36].…”

Flexibility Analysis and Experimental Design of Dual-Chamber Bellows Isolator for Low-Frequency Damping Performance

“…Due to its low manufacturing cost, good elastic performance and vibration reduction characteristics, rubber bellows are often used as elastic sensitive components, mechanical seal components, dielectric vibration isolation components, etc. [10], and can be used in instrument control, mechanical arm end and other positions, such as connecting pipes, gas fingers, etc. [11], [12].…”

Fast cooperative angular trajectory planning for multiple on-orbit service spacecraft based on the Bezier shape-based method

“…7,8 When the OOS spacecraft is equipped with a manipulator to perform OOS missions, the manipulator can operate flexibly. 9 When the target is within the operation range of the manipulator, the OOS spacecraft only needs to perform attitude maneuver and the adjustment of the manipulator to achieve the approach to the target and follow-up operation without the orbit change of the OOS spacecraft, which greatly reduces the requirement of the spacecraft position and attitude. However, with the development of space technologies and the increase of application requirements, it is difficult for a single OOS spacecraft to complete complex OOS missions, which makes it important for multiple OOS spacecraft to perform OOS missions cooperatively.…”