Space debris capture by a joint compliance controlled robot

Space debris objects are generally tumbling in orbit, and so capturing them involves complicated dynamical interaction between the target, the so-called "servicer", and its robot arm. There is also a possibility that strong loading may occur during the procedure. In this paper a capture strategy for space debris is described which proposes both the application of joint compliance control to the capture robot arm, and the addition of buffers to the "grasper" of the end-effector which makes direct contact with the target. We present the results of simulations and experiments that confirm the feasibility of this technique.