Search results for "Planetary exploration"
showing 4 items of 4 documents
Design and control of a novel 3D casting manipulator
2010
This paper focuses on casting manipulation and presents an innovative mechanism that allows objects placed in a three-dimensional space to be reached with a relatively small robot. Casting manipulation is a technique by which a robotic end-effector is thrown and its ballistic flight is controlled through a tether cable so as to reach a target object. Previous work presented a solution that is viable only when the position of the target object is perfectly known or aligned with the throwing plane. Our work extends the technique by use of a novel mechanical design of the arm, and a suitable control scheme for the flight of the end-effector, which makes it applicable for objects placed at gene…
A Rough-Terrain Casting Robot for the ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge
2009
This paper describes the design and implementation of DAVID, a lunar vehicle developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) Lunar Robotics Challenge, presenting severe terrain negotiation and sample acquisition challenges. We discuss in some detail two of the main innovative aspects of our entry to the challenge, i.e. the locomotion system and the sample acquisition system. Motivated by the challenge specifications, a range of different locomotion systems were considered, among which we chose a simple, rugged and effective wheeled system. We provide an account of the choice of five different types of wheels, which were designed, analyzed and experimentally tested in conditions similar to the…
Robotic Exploration of Planetary Surfaces – Rover Technologies Developed for Space Exploration
2009
Mobility is a key feature for any science mission and for space exploration in general. Missions with mobile systems provide a much wider spectrum of outcomes by employing a higher number of samples within an increased area of exploration. The additional degree of freedom of a rover in comparison to a lander or even a robotic arm allows the mission to be flexibly adapted to the landing site as it is encountered.
Casting Robotic end-effectors to reach far objects in space and planetary missions
2006
In this paper we present work aimed at developing a compact robotic device able to reach objects at far distance.The work is based on the idea of casting manipulation, and that allows to deploy an end-effector at large distances from the robot’s base by throwing (casting) it and controlling its ballistic flightusing forces transmitted through a light tether connected to the end-effector itself.