Electroadhesive robotics experiment in simulated microgravity

Abstract

Canada has a strong presence in space robotics, and Mission SpaceWalker (MSW) is a group of ambitious young women who are leaning into Canadian robotics excellence through their investigation of how electroadhesive (EA) robots behave in reduced gravity, all while introducing a new testing procedure for rovers and adhesive space robotics. As an undergraduate student team at the University of Alberta, MSW has been chosen to fly their payload as part of the Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment Challenge (CAN-RGX) organized by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Canada (SEDS-Canada), the National Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Space Agency. The annual competition is open nationwide to university students, soliciting participating groups to create a payload to be tested onboard a parabolic flight. The experiment will consist of an automated system contained within a Pelican case, featuring a mechanical design that will obtain footage of two robots on conductive and nonconductive surfaces. It will log data from onboard sensors to provide insight into the performance of the EA pads on both surfaces. The payload is expected to be flown on a parabolic flight during the CAN-RGX campaign in the 2023 calendar year.