Results for “soft robots” — Page 3

NASA NTRS2013

Controlling Tensegrity Robots Through Evolution

Tensegrity structures (built from interconnected rods and cables) have the potential to offer a revolutionary new robotic design that is light-weight, energy-efficient, robust to failures, capable of unique modes of locomotion, impact tolerant, and compliant (reducing damage between the robot and its environment). Unfortunately robots built from tensegrity structures are difficult to control with traditional methods due to their oscillatory nature, nonlinear coupling between components and overall complexity. Fortunately this formidable control challenge can be overcome through the use of evolutionary algorithms. In this paper we show that evolutionary algorithms can be used to efficiently control a ball-shaped tensegrity robot. Experimental results performed with a variety of evolutionary algorithms in a detailed soft-body physics simulator show that a centralized evolutionary algorithm performs 400 percent better than a hand-coded solution, while the multi-agent evolution performs 800 percent better. In addition, evolution is able to discover diverse control solutions (both crawling and rolling) that are robust against structural failures and can be adapted to a wide range of energy and actuation constraints. These successful controls will form the basis for building high-performance tensegrity robots in the near future.

Robot↗

NASA NTRS1982

Study of and proposals for the correction of errors in a radar ranging device designed to facilitate docking of a teleoperator maneuvering system

A frequency modulated continuous wave radar system was developed. The system operates in the 35 gigahertz frequency range and provides millimeter accuracy range and range rate measurements. This level of range resolution allows soft docking for the proposed teleoperator maneuvering system (TMS) or other autonomous or robotic space vehicles. Sources of error in the operation of the system which tend to limit its range resolution capabilities are identified. Alternative signal processing techniques are explored with emphasis on determination of the effects of inserting various signal filtering circuits in the system. The identification and elimination of an extraneous low frequency signal component created as a result of zero range immediate reflection of radar energy from the surface of the antenna dish back into the mixer of the system is described.

Mcdonald, M. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Personnel occupied woven envelope robot

The use of nonmetallic or fabric structures for space application is considered. The following structures are suggested: (1) unpressurized space hangars; (2) extendable tunnels for soft docking; and (3) manned habitat for space stations, storage facilities, and work structures. The uses of the tunnel as a passageway: for personnel and equipment, eliminating extravehicular activity, for access to a control cabin on a space crane and between free flyers and the space station are outlined. The personnal occupied woven envelope robot (POWER) device is shown. The woven envelope (tunnel) acts as part of the boom of a crane. Potential applications of POWER are outlined. Several possible deflection mechanisms and design criteria are determined.

Wessling, F. C.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Robonaut 2 - Initial Activities On-Board the ISS

Robonaut 2, or R2, arrived on the International Space Station in February 2011 and is currently undergoing testing in preparation for it to become, initially, an Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) tool and then evolve into a system that can perform Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA). After the completion of a series of system level checks to ensure that the robot traveled well on-board the Space Shuttle Atlantis, ground control personnel will remotely control the robot to perform free space tasks that will help characterize the differences between earth and zero-g control. For approximately one year, the fixed base R2 will perform a variety of experiments using a reconfigurable task board that was launched with the robot. While working side-by-side with human astronauts, Robonaut 2 will actuate switches, use standard tools, and manipulate Space Station interfaces, soft goods and cables. The results of these experiments will demonstrate the wide range of tasks a dexterous humanoid can perform in space and they will help refine the methodologies used to control dexterous robots both in space and here on earth. After the trial period that will evaluate R2 while on a fixed stanchion in the US Laboratory module, NASA plans to launch climbing legs that when attached to the current on-orbit R2 upper body will give the robot the ability to traverse through the Space Station and start assisting crew with general IVA maintenance activities. Multiple control modes will be evaluated in this extra-ordinary ISS test environment to prepare the robot for use during EVAs. Ground Controllers will remotely supervise the robot as it executes semi-autonomous scripts for climbing through the Space Station and interacting with IVA interfaces. IVA crew will locally supervise the robot using the same scripts and also teleoperate the robot to simulate scenarios with the robot working alone or as an assistant during space walks.

Diftler, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Development and Deployment of Robonaut 2 to the International Space Station

The development of the Robonaut 2 (R2) system was a joint endeavor with NASA and General Motors, producing robots strong enough to do work, yet safe enough to be trusted to work near humans. To date two R2 units have been produced, designated as R2A and R2B. This follows more than a decade of work on the Robonaut 1 units that produced advances in dexterity, tele-presence, remote supervision across time delay, combining mobility with manipulation, human-robot interaction, force control and autonomous grasping. Design challenges for the R2 included higher speed, smaller packaging, more dexterous fingers, more sensitive perception, soft drivetrain design, and the overall implementation of a system software approach for human safety, At the time of this writing the R2B unit was poised for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard STS-133. R2 will be the first humanoid robot in space, and is arguably the most sophisticated robot in the world, bringing NASA into the 21st century as the world's leader in this field. Joining the other robots already on ISS, the station is now an exciting lab for robot experiments and utilization. A particular challenge for this project has been the design and certification of the robot and its software for work near humans. The 3 layer software systems will be described, and the path to ISS certification will be reviewed. R2 will go through a series of ISS checkout tests during 2011. A taskboard was shipped with the robot that will be used to compare R2B's dexterous manipulation in zero gravity with the ground robot s ability to handle similar objects in Earth s gravity. R2's taskboard has panels with increasingly difficult tasks, starting with switches, progressing to connectors and eventually handling softgoods. The taskboard is modular, and new interfaces and experiments will be built up using equipment already on ISS. Since the objective is to test R2 performing tasks with human interfaces, hardware abounds on ISS and the crew will be involved to help select tasks that are dull, dirty or dangerous. Future plans for R2 include a series of upgrades, evolving from static IVA (Intravehicular Activity) operations, to mobile IVA, then EVA (Extravehicular Activity).

Ambrose, Robert O.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Coherent Doppler Lidar for Precision Landing on Planetary Bodies

A coherent Doppler lidar has been developed by NASA for providing vector velocity and altitude data to landing vehicles. Future robotic and manned missions to planetary bodies demand precise ground-relative velocity and altitude data to execute complex descent maneuvers for safe, soft and pinpoint landing at a pre-designated site. Operating from over five kilometers altitude, this lidar provides velocity and range data within a few cm/sec and a few meters precision, respectively, depending on the vehicle dynamics. Two upcoming lunar landing missions will serve as the technology demonstration for robotic and manned landing missions to the Moon, Mars, and other solar system destinations. This paper describes the lidar design and its expected performance on landing vehicles.

Coherent Laser Radar↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 1: Self-organization only possible far from equilibrium--machines making machines

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.1 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 2: Instrumentation--from neuromorphic computing to large-scale self-assembly

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.2 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft Matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 3: Suspensions, foams, emulsions, colloids, and granular materials--self-healing, tuning gravity, and life support for exploration

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.3 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 4: Packings, simulation, and big data--artificial intelligence emulation of soft matter

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.4 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 5: Mechanical metamaterials and topological soft matter: allostery and auxetics--distributed energetics and mutation upon deployment

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.5 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 6: Soft matter, bioscience, and biotechnology--evolution and the marginal stability of life

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.6 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 7: Active patterning and structure formation—self-limiting assembly, actuation, and integration

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. Attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.7 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Navigation Doppler Lidar

A Doppler lidar has been developed by NASA as an alternative to radars for providing velocity and altitude data to landing vehicles. Future robotic and manned missions to planetary bodies demand precise ground-relative velocity vector and altitude data to execute complex descent maneuvers for safe, soft and pinpoint landing at a pre-designated site. This lidar sensor, referred to as Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), provides velocity and altitude data from over five kilometers altitude to within a few cm/sec and tens of centimeters precision, respectively. NDL technology will be demonstrated on two lunar landing missions this year that will serve as precursors for large robotic and manned landing missions to the Moon, Mars, and other solar system destinations. NDL can also benefit terrestrial aerial vehicles that cannot rely on the GPS for position and velocity data or require precision data relative to local ground.

Doppler Lidar↗

NASA NTRS2021

Chapter 8: Fluids: liquid crystals—self-assembly of the superlarge and superweak active clothing

At the suggestion of NASA’s Physical Science Research Program in the Space Life and Physical Science Research and Application Division, Paul Chaikin, Noel Clark, and Sidney Nagel organized a focus session and workshop for the 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting under the auspices of the Division of Soft Matter. Three overarching themes emerged from the workshop and are presented with additional details: • Machines made out of machines • Scalable self-sustaining ecosystems • Active materials and metamaterials This report lays out only some of the potential directions for soft matter dynamics over the next two decades. It also lays out the role that gravity plays in the organization of the basic building blocks of matter. Not only will research on soft matter have tremendous application towards understanding its behavior in our terrestrial environment, but also potentially in other NASA programs such as planetary science, exploration, robotics, etc. The attached is a White Paper for the Decadal Survey that consists of an extended Title along with the previous Introduction and Chapter 2.8 from NASA/CP-20205010493.

Soft matter↗

NASA NTRS2005

Innovative Robot Archetypes for In-Space Construction and Maintenance

The space environment presents unique challenges and opportunities in the assembly, inspection and maintenance of orbital and transit spaceflight systems. While conventional Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) technology, out of necessity, addresses each of the challenges, relatively few of the opportunities have been exploited due to crew safety and reliability considerations. Extra-Vehicular Robotics (EVR) is one of the least-explored design spaces but offers many exciting innovations transcending the crane-like Space Shuttle and International Space Station Remote Manipulator System (RMS) robots used for berthing, coarse positioning and stabilization. Microgravity environments can support new robotic archetypes with locomotion and manipulation capabilities analogous to undersea creatures. Such diversification could enable the next generation of space science platforms and vehicles that are too large and fragile to launch and deploy as self-contained payloads. Sinuous manipulators for minimally invasive inspection and repair in confined spaces, soft-stepping climbers with expansive leg reach envelopes and free-flying nanosatellite cameras can access EVA worksites generally not accessible to humans in spacesuits. These and other novel robotic archetypes are presented along with functionality concepts

Rehnmark, Fredrik↗

NASA NTRS2016

Pressurized Adapter for "Shirt-Sleeves" Transfer and Universal Base Expansion (PASSTUBE)

Proposed is a scalable, six-degree-of-freedom, pressurized docking adapter that can connect multiple volumes while resolving all forces within itself. In a large space outpost pass-through connection is needed between multiple volumes to maintain a continuous pressurized cabin for crew access, translation, and egress. Zero-g docking and berthing of elements can be done using robotic arms, thrusters, and simple docking interface hardware because orthogonal mating is only governed by position, orientation, and momentum, but soft capture / hard docking techniques would not work in a gravity environment because modules cannot be brought in square with each other. Gravity docking is problematic in that any two elements have a gravity vector and it is not practical to provide a perfectly flat surface for them to rest on. Any stretch of natural or graded terrain still has surface fluctuations - maneuvering one element in respect to another would constantly be working against a gravity vector, where uneven surfaces would cause modules to come to rest in odd configurations in respect to each other. Manipulation of heavy elements, such as habitats will be difficult to do with precision -- elements may be placed as close as the mobility system can handle but would still leave the elements not in square with each other. The proposed Pressurized Adapter for "Shirt-Sleeve" Transfer and Universal Base Expansion (PASSTUBE) element will connect non-square and skewed elements while resolving all forces internal to itself.

Howe, A. Scott↗

NASA NTRS2010

Analytical Dimensional Reduction of a Fuel Optimal Powered Descent Subproblem

Current renewed interest in exploration of the moon, Mars, and other planetary objects is driving technology development in many fields of space system design. In particular, there is a desire to land both robotic and human missions on the moon and elsewhere. The landing guidance system must be able to deliver the vehicle to a desired soft landing while meeting several constraints necessary for the safety of the vehicle. Due to performance limitations of current launch vehicles, it is desired to minimize the amount of fuel used. In addition, the landing site may change in real-time in order to avoid previously undetected hazards which become apparent during the landing maneuver. This complicated maneuver can be broken into simpler subproblems that bound the full problem. One such subproblem is to find a minimum-fuel landing solution that meets constraints on the initial state, final state, and bounded thrust acceleration magnitude. With the assumptions of constant gravity and negligible atmosphere, the form of the optimal steering law is known, and the equations of motion can be integrated analytically, resulting in a system of five equations in five unknowns. It is shown that this system of equations can be reduced analytically to two equations in two unknowns. With an additional assumption of constant thrust acceleration magnitude, this system can be reduced further to one equation in one unknown. It is shown that these unknowns can be bounded analytically. An algorithm is developed to quickly and reliably solve the resulting one-dimensional bounded search, and it is used as a real-time guidance applied to a lunar landing test case.

Rea, Jeremy R.↗