JEMRMS system design and development status

The authors present an overview of the baseline configuration of the JEMRMS (Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System) and summarize the status of the system and element development tests. JEMRMS has mother-daughter type manipulators: a 10 m long mother arm (main arm) and a 2 m-long daughter arm (small fine arm). The main arm (MA) provides that capability of transferring, retrieving, and berthing user (mission) payload or a JEM element in the vicinity of the servicing bay, called the exposed facility. The small fine arm (SFA), which is attached to the MA, performs dexterous tasks such as assembly of antenna and change-out test samples. The MA is routinely controlled by an automatic control mode, but can also be controlled by a manual mode using a six degree-of-freedom hand controller. The SFA is controlled by a manual control mode mainly in a bilateral (force feedback) and master-slave fashion. The MA is commonly used for the SFA as will as the MA and provides a human operator with the feedback force detected by a force moment sensor at the SFA wrist