Coordinated Control of Space Robot Teams for the On-Orbit Construction of Large Flexible Space Structures

Abstract

The construction of future space structures in Earth orbit such as solar power stations and space telescopes will require coordinated teams of autonomous space robots. These robot teams can excite undesirable vibrations in the structures while manipulating or assembling them. Controlling robot teams physically interacting with structural elements in space is challenging. The combined system dynamics are described by sets of nonlinear partial differential equations. Here, these dynamic equations are transformed into a set of linear time-varying ordinary differential equations. The control of the high-frequency robots is then decoupled from the control of the much lower frequency structures. This allows linear optimal control theory to be used to control the robots and minimize structural vibrations. Simulation and experimental studies shown here demonstrate the validity of the approach.