TRACK is a specialized controller for the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer Robot (ATHLETE), which has six limbs with six kinematic degrees of freedom each

Norris, Jeffrey S.

Vona, Marsette A.

NASA Technical Reports Server

Three-Wheel Brush-Wheel Sampler 
New design simplifies sample collection.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
A new sampler is similar to a common
snow blower, but is robust and effective
in sample collection. The brush wheels
are arranged in a triangle shape, each
driven by a brushless DC motor and
planetary gearhead embedded in the
wheel shaft. Its speed can be varied from
800–2,000 rpm, depending on the sur-
face regolith resistance. The sample-col-
lecting flow path, and internal features,
are designed based on flow dynamics,
and the sample-collecting rates have
consistently exceeded the requirement
under various conditions that span the
range of expected surface properties. 
The brush-wheel sampler (BWS) (as is
shown in the figure) is designed so that
the flow channel is the main body of the
apparatus, and links the brush-wheel as-
sembly to the sample canister. The com-
bination of the three brush wheels, the
sample flow path, and the canister loca-
tion make sample collection, storage,
and transfer an easier task. 
This work was done by Geoffrey A. Duck-
worth, Jun Liu, and Mark G. Brown of Cal-
tech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For more information, contact iaofflce@
jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-47100 This Brush Wheel Sampler, similar to a common snow blower, is an effective sample collector.
Arm Mount
BWS Body
(Sample Flow
Channel)
Wheel Housing
Sample Canister
Heaters
Getter Cutters
Brush Wheels
TRACK is a specialized controller for
the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terres-
trial Explorer Robot (ATHLETE), which
has six limbs with six kinematic degrees
of freedom each. TRACK is a 1/8-scale
sensed but un-actuated model of one
ATHLETE limb (see figure), designed to
be used as a human-interface device to
aid operations. TRACK is useful in cases
where the whole-limb posture must be
unambiguously commanded — for ex-
ample, to maximize rigidity, available
range of motion, or to avoid nearby ob-
stacles. Because TRACK mimics the link
lengths and geometry of ATHLETE as
well as the joint angle limits, its kinematic
workspace is representative of the actual
ATHLETE limb workspace.
TRACK includes rotary sensors (po-
tentiometers) for each ATHLETE
kinematic degree-of-freedom (DoF)
and an extra rotary sensor for the
wheel rotation; spring-loaded friction
bearings to hold joint pose against
gravity; tri-color RGB LEDs (light emit-
ting diodes) at each joint and the
wheel; two momentary-contact tactile
pushbuttons at each joint and the
wheel; USB (universal serial bus) com-
munications and power; onboard
firmware with calibration storage and
ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) monitor;
and host-side Java interface library.
This work was done by Jeffrey S. Norris of
Caltech and Marsette A. Vona of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology for NASA’s
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more informa-
tion, contact iaoffice@jpl.nasa.gov. NPO-
46517
Tele-Robotic ATHLETE Controller for Kinematics —TRACK 
TRACK is useful in cases where the whole-limb posture must be unambiguously commanded.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
Tele-Robotic ATHLETE Controller for kinematics.
NASA Tech Briefs, October 2010 23
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20100036560 2019-08-30T12:07:22+00:00Z


Tele-Robotic ATHLETE Controller for Kinematics - TRACK

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