Graphical programming: A systems approach for telerobotic servicing of space assets

Satellite servicing is in many ways analogous to subsea robotic servicing in the late 1970's. A cost effective, reliable, telerobotic capability had to be demonstrated before the oil companies invested money in deep water robot serviceable production facilities. In the same sense, aeronautic engineers will not design satellites for telerobotic servicing until such a quantifiable capability has been demonstrated. New space servicing systems will be markedly different than existing space robot systems. Past space manipulator systems, including the Space Shuttle's robot arm, have used master/slave technologies with poor fidelity, slow operating speeds and most importantly, in-orbit human operators. In contrast, new systems will be capable of precision operations, conducted at higher rates of speed, and be commanded via ground-control communication links. Challenge presented by this environment include achieving a mandated level of robustness and dependability, radiation hardening, minimum weight and power consumption, and a system which accommodates the inherent communication delay between the ground station and the satellite. There is also a need for a user interface which is easy to use, ensures collision free motions, and is capable of adjusting to an unknown workcell (for repair operations the condition of the satellite may not be known in advance). This paper describes the novel technologies required to deliver such a capability

The Federal Conference on Intelligent Processing Equipment

Research and development projects involving intelligent processing equipment within the following U.S. agencies are addressed: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, NASA, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation

Requirements and design concept for a facility mapping system

The Department of Energy (DOE) has for some time been considering the Decontamination and Dismantlement (D&D) of facilities which are no longer in use, but which are highly contaminated with radioactive wastes. One of the holdups in performing the D&D task is the accumulation of accurate facility characterizations that can enable a safe and orderly cleanup process. According to the Technical Strategic Plan for the Decontamination and Decommissioning Integrated Demonstration, {open_quotes}the cost of characterization using current baseline technologies for approximately 100 acres of gaseous diffusion plant at Oak Ridge alone is, for the most part incalculable{close_quotes}. Automated, robotic techniques will be necessary for initial characterization and continued surveillance of these types of sites. Robotic systems are being designed and constructed to accomplish these tasks. This paper describes requirements and design concepts for a system to accurately map a facility contaminated with hazardous wastes. Some of the technologies involved in the Facility Mapping System are: remote characterization with teleoperated, sensor-based systems, fusion of data sets from multiple characterization systems, and object recognition from 3D data models. This Facility Mapping System is being assembled by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the DOE Office of Technology Development Robotics Technology Development Program