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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

SSIM: NASA Mars rover robotics flight software simulation

The focus of SSim on MSL was the robotic flight software, including rover mobility and navigation, robotic arm manipulation, and sample acquisition, processing, and delivery. It can execute behaviors in simulation a thousand times faster than they execute in real time on the flight compute element. SSim is used by rover drivers to develop and validate command sequences throughout the planning cycle. SSim has been used to plan all of the Curiosity robotic operations since landing and is expected to continue to be used for the remaining life of the rover.

Leger, Chris↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Robotic All-Terrain Lunar Exploration Rover (RATLER): Increased mobility through simplicity

A new concept mobility chassis for a robotic rover is described which is inherently simple with few moving parts or complex linkages. The RATLER design utilizes a four-wheel drive, skid steered propulsion system in conjunction with passive articulation of the dual body vehicle. This uniquely simple method of chassis articulation allows all four wheels to remain in contact with the ground even while climbing obstacles as large as 1.3 wheel diameters. A prototype mobility platform was built which is approximately 1 m(sup 2) with 0.5 m diameter wheels and all-wheel electric drive. The theoretical mobility limitations are discussed and compared with the results of field trials of the prototype platform. The theoretical model contrasted with measured performance is then used to predict the expected mobility of the RATLER design on the Lunar surface.

Pletta, J. Bryan↗
NASA NTRS2021

ATHLETE Offloader Limb as a High-capacity Crane

A new concept for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic constructor / mobility system employs tendon-driven actuation of individual limbs, similar to high-capacity cranes in terrestrial work environments. While maintaining mechanical joints that allow each limb to function as a highly dexterous multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (DOF) robotic arm, tendon-driven truss sections increase the capacity of moment loads for extended configurations of the limb. This paper describes the analysis, work cell, operations, actuation, control, and instrumentation of limbs designed to address specific target load cases that might be required for human exploration missions on planetary surfaces.

Wilcox, Brian H.↗
NASA NTRS2021

ATHLETE Offloader Limb as a High-capacity Crane

A new concept for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic constructor / mobility system employs tendon-driven actuation of individual limbs, similar to high-capacity cranes in terrestrial work environments, that can offload cargo from tall landers. While maintaining mechanical joints that allow each limb to function as a highly dexterous multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (DOF) robotic arm, tendon-driven truss sections increase the capacity of moment loads for extended configurations of the limb. The tendon-driven crane-like limb will be capable of offloading cargo from tall landers such as the SpaceX Starship. This paper describes the structural analysis, operations, calibration, and actuation of limbs designed to address specific target load cases that might be required for human exploration missions on planetary surfaces.

Wilcox, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2003

Working and Learning with Knowledge in the Lobes of a Humanoid's Mind

Humanoid class robots must have sufficient dexterity to assist people and work in an environment designed for human comfort and productivity. This dexterity, in particular the ability to use tools, requires a cognitive understanding of self and the world that exceeds contemporary robotics. Our hypothesis is that the sense-think-act paradigm that has proven so successful for autonomous robots is missing one or more key elements that will be needed for humanoids to meet their full potential as autonomous human assistants. This key ingredient is knowledge. The presented work includes experiments conducted on the Robonaut system, a NASA and the Defense Advanced research Projects Agency (DARPA) joint project, and includes collaborative efforts with a DARPA Mobile Autonomous Robot Software technical program team of researchers at NASA, MIT, USC, NRL, UMass and Vanderbilt. The paper reports on results in the areas of human-robot interaction (human tracking, gesture recognition, natural language, supervised control), perception (stereo vision, object identification, object pose estimation), autonomous grasping (tactile sensing, grasp reflex, grasp stability) and learning (human instruction, task level sequences, and sensorimotor association).

Ambrose, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2001

Electroactive polymers as artificial muscles - reality and challenges

For many years, electroactive polymers (EAP) received reIatively little attention due to the small number of available materials and their limited actuation capability. The recent emergence of EAP materials with large displacement response changed the potential capability and paradigms of these materials. The main attractive characteristic of EAP is their operational similarity to biological muscles, particularly their resilience and ability to induce large actuation strains. Even though the actuation force of existing EAP materials and their robustness require further improvement, there has already been a series of reported successes. The successful applications that were demonstrated include catheter steering element, miniature manipulator, dust-wiper, miniature robotic arm, and grippers. Some of the currently considered applications may be difficult to accomplish and it is important to scope the requirements to the level that current materials can address. Using EAP to replace existing actuators may be a difficult challenge and therefore it is highly desirable to identify a niche application where it would not need to compete with existing capabilities. The application of these materials as actuators to drive various manipulation, mobility and robotic devices involves multidiscipline including materials, chemistry, electro-mechanics, computers, electronics, etc. This paper reviews the current efforts and the expectations for the future.

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗
NASA NTRS2004

Primate Anatomy, Kinematics, and Principles for Humanoid Design

The primate order of animals is investigated for clues in the design of Humanoid Robots. The pursuit is directed with a theory that kinematics, musculature, perception, and cognition can be optimized for specific tasks by varying the proportions of limbs, and in particular, the points of branching in kinematic trees such as the primate skeleton. Called the Bifurcated Chain Hypothesis, the theory is that the branching proportions found in humans may be superior to other animals and primates for the tasks of dexterous manipulation and other human specialties. The primate taxa are defined, contemporary primate evolution hypotheses are critiqued, and variations within the order are noted. The kinematic branching points of the torso, limbs and fingers are studied for differences in proportions across the order, and associated with family and genus capabilities and behaviors. The human configuration of a long waist, long neck, and short arms is graded using a kinematic workspace analysis and a set of design axioms for mobile manipulation robots. It scores well. The re emergence of the human waist, seen in early Prosimians and Monkeys for arboreal balance, but lost in the terrestrial Pongidae, is postulated as benefiting human dexterity. The human combination of an articulated waist and neck will be shown to enable the use of smaller arms, achieving greater regions of workspace dexterity than the larger limbs of Gorillas and other Hominoidea.

Ambrose, Robert O.↗
NASA NTRS2010

ATHLETE: Lunar Cargo Unloading from a High Deck

As part of the NASA Exploration Technology Development Program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a vehicle called ATHLETE: the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer. Each vehicle is based on six wheels at the ends of six multi-degree-of freedom limbs. Because each limb has enough degrees of freedom for use as a general-purpose leg, the wheels can be locked and used as feet to walk out of excessively soft or other extreme terrain. Since the vehicle has this alternative mode of traversing through or at least out of extreme terrain, the wheels and wheel actuators can be sized for nominal terrain. There are substantial mass savings in the wheel and wheel actuators associated with designing for nominal instead of extreme terrain. These mass savings are at least comparable-to or larger-than the extra mass associated with the articulated limbs. As a result, the entire mobility system, including wheels and limbs, can be lighter than a conventional all-terrain mobility chassis. A side benefit of this approach is that each limb has sufficient degrees-of freedom to be used as a general-purpose manipulator (hence the name "limb" instead of "leg"). Our prototype ATHLETE vehicles have quick-disconnect tool adapters on the limbs that allow tools to be drawn out of a "tool belt" and maneuvered by the limb. A power-take-off from the wheel actuates the tools, so that they can take advantage of the 1+ horsepower motor in each wheel to enable drilling, gripping or other power-tool functions.

robotics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic Charging Rendezvous and Motion Planning for a Multi-AGV Team Including a Mobile Charging Host

Teams of automated battery-powered electric vehicles have the potential to execute complex mission tasks in off-road environments for agriculture, military, and other applications. Limited onboard energy reserves hinder their adoption in large-scale resource-constrained environments, where recharging is a necessity. It may be infeasible to install a network of static charging stations in off-road environments. For this reason, dedicated mobile host vehicles with charging capabilities are proposed as a means to increase range and capabilities of the multivehicle team. Here, in this study, we consider an ad hoc planning framework, where results from a high-confidence trajectory planner are leveraged to plan charging rendezvous between a host and other worker vehicles in a receding horizon fashion to provide high confidence that energy reserves will not be prematurely exhausted. The core problem is posed so as to minimize the impact of recharging on the mission in terms of task delays, overall energy utilization, and costs of fast charging. Through extensive Monte Carlo simulations of an off-road mission, we show a decrease in task delays without substantial increases in energy needs by updating the charging rendezvous plan during the mission. However, if updates are made too often, model mismatch may cause unnecessary cycling and mission failure.

Energy constraints↗
NASA NTRS1980

Automated construction of lightweight, simple, field-erected structures

The feasibility of automation of construction processes which could result in mobile construction robots is examined. The construction of a large photovoltaic power plant with a peak power output of 100 MW is demonstrated. The reasons to automate the construction process, a conventional construction scenario as the reference for evaluation, and a list of potential cost benefits using robots are presented. The technical feasibility of using robots to construct SPS ground stations is addressed.

Leonard, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ambler - An autonomous rover for planetary exploration

The authors are building a prototype legged rover, called the Ambler (loosely an acronym for autonomous mobile exploration robot) and testing it on full-scale, rugged terrain of the sort that might be encountered on the Martian surface. They present an overview of their research program, focusing on locomotion, perception, planning, and control. They summarize some of the most important goals and requirements of a rover design and describe how locomotion, perception, and planning systems can satisfy these requirements. Since the program is relatively young (one year old at the time of writing) they identify issues and approaches and describe work in progress rather than report results. It is expected that many of the technologies developed will be applicable to other planetary bodies and to terrestrial concerns such as hazardous waste assessment and remediation, ocean floor exploration, and mining.

Bares, John↗
NASA NTRS1992

Intelligent robots for planetary exploration and construction

Robots capable of practical applications in planetary exploration and construction will require realtime sensory-interactive goal-directed control systems. A reference model architecture based on the NIST Real-time Control System (RCS) for real-time intelligent control systems is suggested. RCS partitions the control problem into four basic elements: behavior generation (or task decomposition), world modeling, sensory processing, and value judgment. It clusters these elements into computational nodes that have responsibility for specific subsystems, and arranges these nodes in hierarchical layers such that each layer has characteristic functionality and timing. Planetary exploration robots should have mobility systems that can safely maneuver over rough surfaces at high speeds. Walking machines and wheeled vehicles with dynamic suspensions are candidates. The technology of sensing and sensory processing has progressed to the point where real-time autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance behavior is feasible. Map-based navigation systems will support long-range mobility goals and plans. Planetary construction robots must have high strength-to-weight ratios for lifting and positioning tools and materials in six degrees-of-freedom over large working volumes. A new generation of cable-suspended Stewart platform devices and inflatable structures are suggested for lifting and positioning materials and structures, as well as for excavation, grading, and manipulating a variety of tools and construction machinery.

Albus, James S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Multi-sensor, high speed autonomous stair climbing

In this paper we present the design and implementation of a new set of estimation and control algorithms that increase the speed and effectiveness of stair climbing.

mobile robotics estimation control machine vision↗