Enhancing Rover Teleoperation on the Moon With Proprioceptive Sensors and Machine Learning Techniques

Geological formations, environmental conditions, and soil mechanics frequently generate undesired effects on rovers’ mobility, such as slippage or sinkage. Underestimating these undesired effects may compromise the rovers’ operation and lead to a premature end of the mission. Minimizing mobility risks becomes a priority for colonising the Moon and Mars. However, addressing this challenge cannot be treated equally for every celestial body since the control strategies may differ; e.g. the low latency EarthMoon communication allows constant monitoring and controls, something not feasible on Mars. This letter proposes a Hazard Information System (HIS) that estimates the rover’s mobility risks (e.g. slippage) using proprioceptive sensors and Machine Learning (supervised and unsupervised). A Graphical User Interface was created to assist human-teleoperation tasks by presenting mobility risk indicators. The system has been developed and evaluated in the lunar analogue facility (LunaLab) at the University of Luxembourg. A real rover and eight participants were part of the experiments. Results demonstrate the benefits of the HIS in the decision-making processes of the operator’s response to overcome hazardous situations

The effect of ionizing radiation on robotic trajectory movement and electronic components

peer reviewedRobotics applications are greatly needed in hazardous locations, e.g., fusion and fission reactors, where robots must perform delicate and complex tasks under ionizing radiation conditions. The drawback is that some robotic parts, such as active electronics, are susceptible to radiation. It can lead to unexpected failures and early termination of the robotic operation. This paper analyses the ionizing radiation effect from 0.09 to 1.5 Gy/s in robotic components (microcontrollers, servo motors and temperature sensors). The first experiment compares the performance of various microcontroller types and their actuators and sensors, where different mitigation strategies are applied, such as using Radiation-Hardened (Rad-Hard) microcontrollers or shielding. The second and third experiments analyze the performance of a 3-Degrees of Freedom (DoF) robotic arm, evaluating its componentsʼ responses and trajectory. This study enhances our understanding and expands our knowledge regarding radiationʼs impact on robotic arms and components, which is useful for defining the best strategies for extending the robotsʼ operational lifespan, especially when performing maintenance or inspection tasks in radiation environments

Lightweight Floating Platform for Ground-Based Emulation of On-Orbit Scenarios

peer reviewe

eXtended Reality for Enhanced Lunar Exploration Missions

peer reviewe

Enhanced Teleoperation for Lunar Exploration Missions through eXtended Reality

peer reviewe

Assessment of a textile portable exoskeleton for the upper limbs' flexion

Flexible exoskeletons are lightweight robots that surround the user’s anatomy to assist or oppose motion. Their structure is made of light and flexible materials, like fabrics, so the forces created by the robot are directly transferred to the user’s musculoskeletal system. Exosuits are thus sensitive to the sliding of the actuation, textile perturbations and improper fitting to the user. LUXBIT is a cable-driven flexible exoskeleton that combines fabrics and sewing patterns to promote its anatomical adaption. The exoskeleton is intended for bimanual assistance of daily tasks and long-term usage. To this end, the system reduces the pressures applied to the user and the misalignment of the actuation by stacking textile patches. The patches enhance the functioning of the base garment and promote the transference of the assistance forces. Additionally, LUXBIT has a compact actuation with deformable components to prevent the user movements from being restricted. The exoskeleton is portable by using an enhanced textile backpack. This paper shows the exoskeleton’s benefits for trajectory and muscle activity during the flexion of the shoulder and the elbow