Task verification facility for the Canadian special purpose dextrous manipulator

As a partner in the International Space Station, Canada is responsible for the verification of all tasks involving the special purpose dextrous manipulator (SPDM). In this paper, the concept of an SPDM task verification facility (STVF) is described. The verification process involves three complementary stages. First, a real-time software simulator is used to verify the complete nominal and malfunction procedures. Next, the feasibility of a task involving contact is verified with the help of a hardware-in-the-loop simulator. Finally, a non real-time simulator is used to perform detailed parametric studies given the known tolerances on the components. The paper describes all three stages but emphasizes on the hardware-in-the-loop simulator, the only new facility within the STVF