Sensor-Based Robot Control Requirements for Space

Abstract

NASA has begun the development of the Space Station, a permanently manned facility in space, for a variety of scientific goals. One part of this project is the Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) which will help build and maintain the structure. The FTS is envisioned as a two armed robot with seven degrees of freedom for each arm. When the FTS is launched, it is expected to perform several tasks which include the installation and removal of truss members of the Space Station structure, changeout of a variety of modular units, mating a thermal connector, etc. While the FTS will initially use teleoperation, it is envisioned to become more autonomous as technology advances. In order for the FTS to evolve from teleoperation to autonomy, NASA requires that the NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model (NASREM) be used as the functional architecture for the control system. The quest for autonomy inevitably leads to the need for sophisticated sensors and sensory processing. This paper will explore the requirements for the tasks envisioned for FTS at first launch as well as during its evolution phase and show how those tasks impact research on sensors, sensory processing, and other parts of the FTS control system. Finally, the current state of the NASREM implementation at NIST will be presented.