Marine Robot Sample Retrieving System

The exploration of our underwater ecosystems is critical. The aquatic ecosystem has a significant effect on human life, yet our understanding of the oceanic environment is severely lacking. Santa Clara University’s Robotic Systems Lab contributes to subsea exploration through its investment in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology. This project was done with the guidance of not only professors in the Robotics Systems Lab, but also stakeholders from the US Geological Survey scientists and researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Our team goal was to further advance SCU’s efforts by creating a sediment sample collection system consisting of a manipulator arm and sample storage container compatible with an existing SCU ROV. Our project has the potential to give researchers better access to submerged ecosystems and assists their efforts to understand and protect subsea environments in the future. We designed, built, and tested a prototype of a multiple degree-offreedom arm and storage system for the existing Nautilus ROV, for safely manipulating and storing submerged sedimentary artifacts at 300 feet deep with a maximum dive time of 45 minutes. At the end of this project, we were able to see robust three degree of freedom movement of the arm within its anticipated workspace. We achieved a basic level of motion control of the arm which was successfully tested and evaluated within a testing tank. However, there is still need for additional testing and increased functionality of the mechanical and controls systems. The storage system for samples design needs a thrust bearing to better rotate and there is still much work to make the controls of the arm user friendly such as end effector control for depositing a sample into the storage system instead of doing all the movements manually

Marine Robot Sample Retrieving System

The exploration of our underwater ecosystems is critical. The aquatic ecosystem has a significant effect on human life, yet our understanding of the oceanic environment is severely lacking. Santa Clara University’s Robotic Systems Lab contributes to subsea exploration through its investment in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology. This project was done with the guidance of not only professors in the Robotics Systems Lab, but also stakeholders from the US Geological Survey scientists and researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Our team goal was to further advance SCU’s efforts by creating a sediment sample collection system consisting of a manipulator arm and sample storage container compatible with an existing SCU ROV. Our project has the potential to give researchers better access to submerged ecosystems and assists their efforts to understand and protect subsea environments in the future. We designed, built, and tested a prototype of a multiple degree-of-freedom arm and storage system for the existing Nautilus ROV, for safely manipulating and storing submerged sedimentary artifacts at 300 feet deep with a maximum dive time of 45 minutes. At the end of this project, we were able to see robust three degree of freedom movement of the arm within its anticipated workspace. We achieved a basic level of motion control of the arm which was successfully tested and evaluated within a testing tank. However, there is still need for additional testing and increased functionality of the mechanical and controls systems. The storage system for samples design needs a thrust bearing to better rotate and there is still much work to make the controls of the arm user friendly such as end effector control for depositing a sample into the storage system instead of doing all the movements manually

Proteus: Mini underwater remotely operated vehicle

Marine ecosystems contain life, minerals, information, etc, that can help the planet, however, only 5% of them are explored. This is mainly because existing Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are expensive and require a lot of workand time to use. Team Proteus designed a low cost, easy to use, portable, safe, and reliable ROV capable of being used for scientific research, while being operated and maintained by students. In this paper we explain the necessity behind this project, how it compares to similar projects and the design decisions made in developing the ROV, to include the options and trade-offs considered. We also present project budgets, the final design, and results of our field tests

Prospects for commercialization of SELV-based in-space operations

A workshop was hosted by the Langley Research Center as a part of an activity to assess the commercialization potential of Small Expendible Launch Vehicle-based in-space operations. Representatives of the space launch insurance industry, industrial consultants, producers of spacecraft, launch vehicle manufacturers, and government researchers constituted the participants. The workshop was broken into four sessions: Customers Small Expendible Launch Systems, Representative Missions, and Synthesis-Government role. This publication contains the presentation material, written synopses of the sessions, and conclusions developed at the workshop

Feasibility of remotely manipulated welding in space. A step in the development of novel joining technologies

In order to establish permanent human presence in space technologies of constructing and repairing space stations and other space structures must be developed. Most construction jobs are performed on earth and the fabricated modules will then be delivered to space by the Space Shuttle. Only limited final assembly jobs, which are primarily mechanical fastening, will be performed on site in space. Such fabrication plans, however, limit the designs of these structures, because each module must fit inside the transport vehicle and must withstand launching stresses which are considerably high. Large-scale utilization of space necessitates more extensive construction work on site. Furthermore, continuous operations of space stations and other structures require maintenance and repairs of structural components as well as of tools and equipment on these space structures. Metal joining technologies, and especially high-quality welding, in space need developing

Selection of systems to perform extravehicular activities, man and manipulator. Volume 2 - Final report

Technologies for EVA and remote manipulation systems - handbook for systems designer

An Experimental Evaluation of Space Manipulator Dynamics

The dynamics of a system define the expected loads on the system and are critical for the design and evaluation of a control strategy. This thesis aims to experimentally validate the dynamics of a free-floating or free-flying spacecraft testbed with a manipulator using the theoretical model developed by Papadopoulos. A 2-DOF manipulator was added to an existing air-bearing vehicle to serve as a testbed. Papadopoulos' dynamics model was adapted for the testbed using the simplifications afforded by a planar system. The system's physical parameters were determined, some analytically and some experimentally. Three experiments were performed using different manipulator maneuvers, and the observed accelerations were compared to the model's predicted accelerations. The experimental data followed the general trends of the model prediction, but did not align in magnitude. The observed position motions were then compared to an integrated model using a simulated controller, yielding much better results