Redundant Actuator Coordination for a Free-Flying Telerobot

Plans for future space operations include the use of telerobotic systems with both maneuvering and manipulation capability. For unplanned operations requiring direct human intervention, the ability to manipulate from an free-flying vehicle may be necessary. This paper presents a supervisory control strategy that operates with real-time input and provides task-relative control to reduce the operator´s workload. This algorithm coordinates a redundant manipulator and vehicle actuators to achieve end effector command tracking. The controller minimizes vehicle thruster use while maintaining a desirable system kinematic configuration. Two recent extensions are the use of a reaction wheel for vehicle attitude control and incorporation of a redundant manipulator. A brief description of a planar air-bearing testbed is presented which simulates the zero-gravity dynamics of flight vehiclelmanipulator systems. This testbed includes a self-contained vehicle with thrusters, a reaction wheel, and a redundant manipulator.