European Proximity Operations Simulator 2.0 (EPOS) - A Robotic-Based Rendezvous and Docking Simulator

Benninghoff, Heike; Rems, Florian; Risse, Eicke-Alexander; Mietner, Christian

doi:10.17815/jlsrf-3-155

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…The overall positioning accuracy of the EPOS facility is 1.56 mm (position) and 0.2 deg (orientation) [21]. The algorithms proposed in this paper were implemented in C++, using OpenCV [40] library for straight line and central circle detection.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The proposed navigation system was tested in the European Proximity Operations Simulator (EPOS 2.0) [21] at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which allows real-time simulation of close range proximity operations under realistic space illumination conditions. We tested each designed algorithm for estimation of the relative position and attitude of the satellite mockup in order to compare robustness and accuracy and to identify cases of appliance for each of them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Close Range Tracking of an Uncooperative Target in a Sequence of Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) Images

et al. 2018

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This paper presents a pose estimation routine for tracking attitude and position of an uncooperative tumbling spacecraft during close range rendezvous. The key innovation is the usage of a Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) sensor for the first time during space proximity for tracking the pose of the uncooperative target. This sensor requires lower power consumption and higher resolution if compared with existing flash Light Identification Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors. In addition, the PMD sensor provides two different measurements at the same time: depth information (point cloud) and amplitude of the reflected signal, which generates a grayscale image. In this paper, a hybrid model-based navigation technique that employs both measurements is proposed. The principal pose estimation technique is the iterative closed point algorithm with reverse calibration, which relies on the depth image. The second technique is an image processing pipeline that generates a set of 2D-to-3D feature correspondences between amplitude image and spacecraft model followed by the Efficient Perspective-n-Points (EPnP) algorithm for pose estimation. In this way, we gain a redundant estimation of the target's current state in real-time without hardware redundancy. The proposed navigation methodology is tested in the German Aerospace Center (DLR)'s European Proximity Operations Simulator. The hybrid navigation technique shows the capability to ensure robust pose estimation of an uncooperative tumbling target under severe illumination conditions. In fact, the EPnP-based technique allows to overcome the limitations of the primary technique when harsh illumination conditions arise.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Close Range Tracking of an Uncooperative Target in a Sequence of Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) Images

et al. 2018

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“…The complex HIL rendezvous system used for the experiments consisted of the simulation part and the GNC system; see Figure 1 . The simulation part consisted of a software-based satellite simulator and the robotic HIL test facility EPOS [ 33 , 34 ] presented in Figure 2 . The advanced GNC system included measurements from the PMD sensor, pose estimation algorithms, a navigation filter and guidance and control functions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations with Umbra Conditions for Spacecraft Rendezvous with PMD Visual Sensors

Klionovska

Burri

2021

Sensors

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This paper addresses the validation of a robust vision-based pose estimation technique using a Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) sensor as a single visual sensor in the close-range phase of spacecraft rendezvous. First, it was necessary to integrate the developed hybrid navigation technique for the PMD sensor into the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) rendezvous system developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Thereafter, HIL tests were conducted using the European Proximity Operation Simulator (EPOS) with sun simulation and in total darkness. For the future missions with an active sensor, e.g., a PMD camera, it could be useful to use only its own illumination during the rendezvous phase in penumbra or umbra, instead of additional flash light. In some tests, the rotational rate of the target object was also tuned. Unlike the rendezvous tests in other works, here we present for the first time closed-loop approaches with only depth and amplitude images of a PMD sensor. For the rendezvous tests in the EPOS laboratory, the Argos3D camera was used at the range of 8 to 5.5 meters; the performance showed promising results.

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“…Obtaining the right set of images of the calibration pattern is a question of experience and intuition and is, therefore, best done manually. See [22][23][24] for more details on the EPOS 2.0 system architecture.…”

Section: New Challenges: Epos 20mentioning

confidence: 99%

10-Year Anniversary of the European Proximity Operations Simulator 2.0—Looking Back at Test Campaigns, Rendezvous Research and Facility Improvements

et al. 2021

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Completed in 2009, the European Proximity Operations Simulator 2.0 (EPOS 2.0) succeeded EPOS 1.0 at the German Space Operations Center (GSOC). One of the many contributions the old EPOS 1.0 facility made to spaceflight rendezvous is the verification of the Jena-Optronik laser-based sensors used by the Automated Transfer Vehicle. While EPOS 2.0 builds upon its heritage, it is a completely new design aiming at considerably more complex rendezvous scenarios. During the last ten years, GSOC’s On-Orbit-Servicing & Autonomy group, who operates, maintains and evolves EPOS 2.0, has made numerous contributions to the field of uncooperative rendezvous, using EPOS as its primary tool. After general research in optical navigation in the early 2010s, the OOS group took a leading role in the DLR project “On-Orbit-Servicing End-to-End Simulation” in 2014. EPOS 2.0 served as the hardware in the loop simulator of the rendezvous phase and contributed substantially to the project’s remarkable success. Over the years, E2E has revealed demanding requirements, leading to numerous facility improvements and extensions. In addition to the OOS group’s research work, numerous and diverse open-loop test campaigns for industry and internal (DLR) customers have shaped the capabilities of EPOS 2.0 significantly.

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European Proximity Operations Simulator 2.0 (EPOS) - A Robotic-Based Rendezvous and Docking Simulator

Cited by 23 publications

References 13 publications

Close Range Tracking of an Uncooperative Target in a Sequence of Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) Images

Close Range Tracking of an Uncooperative Target in a Sequence of Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) Images

Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations with Umbra Conditions for Spacecraft Rendezvous with PMD Visual Sensors

10-Year Anniversary of the European Proximity Operations Simulator 2.0—Looking Back at Test Campaigns, Rendezvous Research and Facility Improvements

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