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Autonomous control for on-orbit assembly using potential function methods

Part of: 75 year anniversary of Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

F. McQuade  and
C. R. McInnes
F. McQuade
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
C. R. McInnes
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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Abstract

Potential function methods have been applied extensively to many terrestrial and space robot control problems. This paper extends these methods to multiple robot problems for on-orbit assembly. By considering a population of free-flying robotic vehicles in orbit, capable of both rotation and translation, the potential function method reduces complex assembly problems to sets of simple translation and rotational commands. This is achieved using a potential function incorporating both collision avoidance between the free-flyers and connection constraints in the assembled structure. The method also allows a subsumptive type control architecture with the flexibility to carry out many different assembly tasks simultaneously.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 101 , Issue 1006 , July 1997 , pp. 255 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1997 

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