A modular system architecture for multi-manipulator, free-flying space robots

The Stanford University Aerospace Robotics Laboratory, in cooperation with NASA, has developed an experimental model of a multi-manipulator, free-flying space robot capable of autonomously capturing and manipulating free-floating objects. Its mission is to rendezvous with, capture, transport, and deliver a spinning object, given only task-level commands supplied by a remote operator. A design philosophy that emphasized maintaining a systems perspective while utilizing a modular implementation guided virtually every phase of its development. A system architecture was developed around these concepts and served as the framework for designing and integrating the many pieces required to make this complete system fulfill its mission objectives. This architecture and its resulting implications on the system design that are the focus of this paper are discussed