Handrail detection and pose estimation for a free-flying robot

Dong-Hyun Lee,Theodore Morse,Lorenzo Flückiger,Trey Smith,Brian Coltin,In-Won Park

doi:10.1177/1729881417753691

Abstract

We present a handrail detection and pose estimation algorithm for the free-flying Astrobee robots that will operate inside the International Space Station. The Astrobee will be equipped with a single time-of-flight depth sensor and a compliant perching arm to grab the International Space Station handrails. Autonomous perching enables a free-flying robot to minimize power consumption by holding its position without using propulsion. Astrobee is a small robot with many competing demands on its computing, power, and volume resources. Therefore, for perching, we were limited to using a single compact sensor and a lightweight detection algorithm. Moreover, the handrails on the International Space Station are surrounded by various instruments and cables, and the lighting conditions change significantly depending on the light sources, time, and robot location. The proposed algorithm uses a time-of-flight depth sensor for handrail perception under varying lighting conditions and utilizes the geometric characteristics of the handrails for robust detection and pose estimation. We demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the algorithm in various environment scenarios.

Highlights

The NASA Astrobee Project is developing the nextgeneration free-flying robots that will operate inside the International Space Station (ISS) alongside the astronauts.[1]
The Astrobees will replace the SPHERES robots that have been among the most-used facilities on the ISS since they arrived in 2006, hosting experiments on topics ranging from magnetic propulsion,[2] to simulated satellite inspection,[3] to studying the dynamics of tethers in zero-g
Experiments already under development for Astrobee include an Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) reader for tracking equipment on ISS, a new gripper using a gecko-inspired adhesive that could enable perching on flat surfaces, and an investigation using an arm for acrobatic

Summary

Introduction

The NASA Astrobee Project is developing the nextgeneration free-flying robots that will operate inside the International Space Station (ISS) alongside the astronauts.[1] Astrobee’s primary objective is to provide a zero-g research facility for guest scientists. The Astrobees will replace the SPHERES robots that have been among the most-used facilities on the ISS since they arrived in 2006, hosting experiments on topics ranging from magnetic propulsion,[2] to simulated satellite inspection,[3] to studying the dynamics of tethers in zero-g.4. If you have new ideas about how to use zero-g robots, the Astrobee Research Facility (https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee) is currently seeking guest scientists to begin experiments on the ISS in late 2018. Experiments already under development for Astrobee include an Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) reader for tracking equipment on ISS, a new gripper using a gecko-inspired adhesive that could enable perching on flat surfaces, and an investigation using an arm for acrobatic

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