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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Noncontacting Inspection Heads For Robots

Compact assembly for hand of robot includes group of sensors to monitor internal conditions of such complex equipment as turbines, pumps, motors, and generators. Inspection head includes sensors; for example, pyrometers, isotope wear analyzers, spectrometers, and interferometers. Conditions as overheating of turbines, wear of ball bearings and seals, erosion of blades and impellers, leakage of joints, and deformations of housings, monitored without disassembly or shutdown. Used in typical robot applications.

Barkhoudarian, Sarkis↗
NASA NTRS1994

Free-floating dual-arm robots for space assembly

Freely moving systems in space conserve linear and angular momentum. As moving systems collide, the velocities get altered due to transfer of momentum. The development of strategies for assembly in a free-floating work environment requires a good understanding of primitives such as self motion of the robot, propulsion of the robot due to onboard thrusters, docking of the robot, retrieval of an object from a collection of objects, and release of an object in an object pool. The analytics of such assemblies involve not only kinematics and rigid body dynamics but also collision and impact dynamics of multibody systems. In an effort to understand such assemblies in zero gravity space environment, we are currently developing at Ohio University a free-floating assembly facility with a dual-arm planar robot equipped with thrusters, a free-floating material table, and a free-floating assembly table. The objective is to pick up workpieces from the material table and combine them into prespecified assemblies. This paper presents analytical models of assembly primitives and strategies for overall assembly. A computer simulation of an assembly is developed using the analytical models. The experiment facility will be used to verify the theoretical predictions.

Agrawal, Sunil Kumar↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hardware Systems and EDU Demonstration of the Tall Lunar Tower Project

The Tall Lunar Tower (TLT) project developed a robotic tower assembly system (RTAS) and TLT Truss engineering development units (EDUs) to perform a ground demonstration of supervised semi-autonomous robotic assembly of a truss-based tall tower. Truss structures provide exceptional strength-to-weight ratios for payload capabilities supporting large masses. On the lunar surface, tall towers are a critical structural system that will enable significant solar power generation by supporting vertical solar arrays and beyond-the-horizon communications at the lunar south pole, supporting the Artemis mission architecture, as well as a lunar economy. Tall towers, greater than 30-meters-tall, provide the elevation needed for more consistent solar power generation due to low inclination sunlight and deep shadowing from surface features on the lunar surface at the poles. The robotic structural assembly technologies developed for truss-based tall towers will also enable other large-scale functional lunar structures to be built, including launch plume deflectors, lunar safe havens for astronauts and assets, surface transportation for cargo, and other critical infrastructure. Robotic assembly of truss structures for lunar surface infrastructure is near-term enabling for future Artemis mission campaign and Moon to Mars Objectives needs for power and communication. The project team designed, fabricated, tested, and demonstrated the RTAS EDU by assembling a TLT Truss EDU in a laboratory environment. The hardware systems and the supervised semi-autonomous assembly process for a TLT assembled EDU design, along with descriptions of a hardware demonstration are presented.

In-space Assembly↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hardware Systems and EDU Demonstration of the Tall Lunar Tower Project

The Tall Lunar Tower (TLT) project developed a robotic tower assembly system (RTAS) and TLT Truss engineering development units (EDUs) to perform a ground demonstration of supervised semi-autonomous robotic assembly of a truss-based tall tower. Truss structures provide exceptional strength-to-weight ratios for payload capabilities supporting large masses. On the lunar surface, tall towers are a critical structural system that will enable significant solar power generation by supporting vertical solar arrays and beyond-the-horizon communications at the lunar south pole, supporting the Artemis mission architecture, as well as a lunar economy. Tall towers, greater than 30-meters-tall, provide the elevation needed for more consistent solar power generation due to low inclination sunlight and deep shadowing from surface features on the lunar surface at the poles. The robotic structural assembly technologies developed for truss-based tall towers will also enable other large-scale functional lunar structures to be built, including launch plume deflectors, lunar safe havens for astronauts and assets, surface transportation for cargo, and other critical infrastructure. Robotic assembly of truss structures for lunar surface infrastructure is near-term enabling for future Artemis mission campaign and Moon to Mars Objectives needs for power and communication. The project team designed, fabricated, tested, and demonstrated the RTAS EDU by assembling a TLT Truss EDU in a laboratory environment. The hardware systems and the supervised semi-autonomous assembly process for a TLT assembled EDU design, along with descriptions of a hardware demonstration are presented.

Lunar Infrastructure↗
NASA NTRS2001

Assembly For Moving a Robotic Device Along Selected Axes

An assembly for moving a robotic device along selected axes includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling movement of the device along selected axes to effect movement of the device to a selected disposition. The PLC includes a plurality of single axis motion control modules, and a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with the motion control modules. A human-machine interface is provided for operator selection of configurations of device movements and is in communication with the CPU. A motor drive is in communication with each of the motion control modules and is operable to effect movement of the device along the selected axes to obtain movement of the device to the selected disposition.

Brentley Craig Nowlin↗
NASA NTRS1990

Definition of large components assembled on-orbit and robot compatible mechanical joints

One of four major areas of project Pathfinder is in-space assembly and construction. The task of in-space assembly and construction is to develop the requirements and the technology needed to build elements in space. A 120-ft diameter tetrahedral aerobrake truss is identified as the focus element. A heavily loaded mechanical joint is designed to robotically assemble the defined aerobrake element. Also, typical large components such as habitation modules, storage tanks, etc., are defined, and attachment concepts of these components to the tetrahedral truss are developed.

Williamsen, J.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Modeling and Control of Robot-Structure Coupling During In-Space Structure Assembly

This paper considers the problem of robot-structure coupling dynamics during in-space robotic assembly of large flexible structures. A two-legged walking robot is used as a construction agent, whose primary goal is to stably walking on the flexible structure while carrying a substructure component to a designated location. The reaction forces inserted by the structure to the walking robot are treated as bounded disturbance inputs, and a trajectory tracking robotic controller is proposed that combines the standard full state feedback motion controller and an adaptive controller to account for the disturbance inputs. In this study, a reduced-order Euler-Bernoulli beam structure model is adapted, and a finite number of co-located sensors and actuators are distributed along the span of the beam structure. The robot-structure coupling forces are treated as a bounded external forcing function to the structure, and hence an output covariance constraint problem can be formulated, in terms of linear matrix inequality, for optimal structure control by utilizing the direct output feedback controllers. The numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed robot-structure modeling and control methodology.

Swei, Sean↗
NASA NTRS2006

Humanoids in Support of Lunar and Planetary Surface Operations

This paper presents a vision of humanoid robots as human's key partners in future space exploration, in particular for construction, maintenance/repair and operation of lunar/planetary habitats, bases and settlements. It integrates this vision with the recent plans for human and robotic exploration, aligning a set of milestones for operational capability of humanoids with the schedule for the next decades and development spirals in the Project Constellation. These milestones relate to a set of incremental challenges, for the solving of which new humanoid technologies are needed. A system of systems integrative approach that would lead to readiness of cooperating humanoid crews is sketched. Robot fostering, training/education techniques, and improved cognitive/sensory/motor development techniques are considered essential elements for achieving intelligent humanoids. A pilot project using small-scale Fujitsu HOAP-2 humanoid is outlined.

imitation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Tall Lunar Tower

The Tall Lunar Tower (TLT) In-Space Assembly (ISA) team aims to design, model, fabricate, autonomously assemble, and characterize a TLT engineering development unit (EDU). Cross-cutting truss assembly technology will be developed enabling construction of infrastructure in the lunar environment.

Tall Lunar Tower↗
NASA NTRS1996

Robot For Infrared Mapping Of A Large Assembly In A Vacuum

Robotic system devised for use in infrared mapping of large assembly of equipment under test in vacuum chamber. Thermal images recorded from almost any direction. In original intended application, assembly thermally mapped is spacecraft, but system also used on integrated-circuit-fabrication equipment or other industrial equipment operating in vacuum. Mechanism operated in high vacuum and extreme cold.

Mcaffee, Douglas A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Uncertainty in Servicing and Assembly Tasks for Space Robotic Manipulators

This presentation will discuss a subset of the sources of uncertainty that impact autonomous in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing missions. These include robotic manipulator modeling uncertainties in both kinematics and dynamics, perception error associated machine learning models for pose estimation, and sensor noise. Mitigation strategies will be discussed including the incorporation of capture envelopes in the design of robotic tools and selection of robot goal poses to minimize end-effector sensitivity in manipulators with redundant degrees of freedom.

robotics↗
NASA NTRS2017

Initial Validation of Robotic Operations for In-Space Assembly of a Large Solar Electric Propulsion Transport Vehicle

Developing a capability for the assembly of large space structures has the potential to increase the capabilities and performance of future space missions and spacecraft while reducing their cost. One such application is a megawatt-class solar electric propulsion (SEP) tug, representing a critical transportation ability for the NASA lunar, Mars, and solar system exploration missions. A series of robotic assembly experiments were recently completed at Langley Research Center (LaRC) that demonstrate most of the assembly steps for the SEP tug concept. The assembly experiments used a core set of robotic capabilities: long-reach manipulation and dexterous manipulation. This paper describes cross-cutting capabilities and technologies for in-space assembly (ISA), applies the ISA approach to a SEP tug, describes the design and development of two assembly demonstration concepts, and summarizes results of two sets of assembly experiments that validate the SEP tug assembly steps.

Komendera, Erik E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TriTruss Packaging and Deployment Trade Study

An architecture and feasibility study of next generation In-Space Assembled Telescopes (iSAT) concluded that robotic in-space assembly of modular components is necessary to enable large (>15-meter diameter) primary apertures. The iSAT study recommended that the foundational structure be assembled from modular TriTruss modules that are packaged for launch, deployed on-orbit and robotically assembled into the final configuration. This paper will describe and summarize the results of a trade study that investigated viable concept of operations (ConOps) for the packaging and deployment (P&D) of individual planar TriTruss modules that could be assembled to form a large aperture iSAT. The ideal TriTruss P&D concept is defined as one that: allows for efficient packaging; has sufficient geometric versatility to be launch vehicle independent; provides a stiff and lightweight structure; has low mechanical complexity; and has component modularity. The P&D concept should allow for prelaunch subsystem or utility integration if required. The concept would be kinematically simple and be robotically deployed using a minimum number of specialized tools. In this first phase of an ongoing more comprehensive trade study, concepts were proposed and then evaluated based on initial metrics representing features of an ideal P&D concept. The P&D concepts evaluated are categorized as: core collapse, face collapse, and erectable structures. Sub-scale models were constructed to help understand the kinematics and mechanical complexity required to enable P&D. Based on a weighting scale, the most promising candidate P&D concepts have selected and will undergo more rigorous structural design, analysis, and testing in the study’s next phase. The ultimate goal of the comprehensive trade study will be to recommend a single TriTruss design and associated P&D concept that will be built and evaluated at NASA Langley Research Center’s In-Space Assembly Laboratory.

in-space assembly (ISA)↗
NASA NTRS1988

Modified hybrid control of robot manipulators for high precision assembly operations

This paper is concerned with applications of robot manipulators in high precision assembly tasks that can be successfully performed by employing a hybrid control scheme that independently controls force and position. A traditional hybrid control scheme is implemented in Cartesian space. In the modified hybrid control scheme introduced in this paper, the error driven control signals are expressed in joint space. This paper studies the implementation of the modified hybrid control scheme on a two-degree-of-freedom robot manipulator with a closed-kinematic chain mechanism. The performance of the traditional and modified hybrid control schemes is comparatively evaluated by computer simulation in terms of computation time and accuracy for several study cases.

Nguyen, Charles C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Segmented Arm For Positioning And Assembly

Proposed segmented robotic arm for positioning and assembly of components of large structures contains motor-and-flywheel angular-momentum devices in each arm segment. Transfers angular momentum to and from segments of arm to produce desired motion of arm. Conceived for use in outer space, concept adaptable to terrestrial uses in which buoyancy cancels effect of gravitation - (floating on or under water).

Berka, Reginald B.↗
NASA NTRS2021

ReQuBiS - Reconfigurable Quadrupedal-Bipedal Snake Robots

Self-assembling and self-reconfiguring robots have the ability to adapt to different or varying environments and carry out complex tasks. Robots competent of performing serpentine gaits and transforming into legged systems impart a wide range of locomotion schemes. Most of the reconfigurable robotic solutions consist of a large number of complicated mechanisms to detach and re-attach at different places making the system fragile and increase its size, weight and power (SWaP). We propose Reconfigurable Quadrupedal-Bipedal Snake Robots (ReQuBiS) to easily transform into these forms. Experimental results demonstrate the mobility in snake, quadruped and biped modes and transition between them with minimal change in modules.

Chiddarwar, Shital↗