Internal Automation and Robotics Testbed at the A&R Laboratories The testbed has been established:
to demonstrate the benefits of Automation and
Robotics (A&R) for payload operations and for familiarizing
potential users, payload engineers and operators with A&R.
to provide a development and testing
environment for A&R technology
The Testbed features a series of payload mockups that can be operated
by a central robot system. The operation of the robot follows the
"Interactive Autonomy" control scheme.
The testbed has been used for
Controller HW/SW development and test, including local
force feedback control laws to handle uncertainty in environment and
comply with micro-g requirements (SPARCO, CESAR).
Development of a Calibration technique to minimize errors
induced by mechanical/structural difference between design and
implementation (Resulting in major Spin-off: Krypton, is now one of the
leading player in the industrial market)
Ground Station development environment to remotely
plan/verify the robotic activity before executing it, and to monitor it
during its execution (DREAMS, TELEMAN). Validated in 1999 during the
Vision & Interactive Autonomy Bi-Lateral Experiments (VIABLE)
executed in cooperation with NASDA in the frame of ETS-VII satellite
flight.