Robotic systems can provide an excellent on-site or remote
support for astronauts during routine tasks and perform
even autonomous tasks during exploration missions.
New systems like the robotic arm CAESAR, the fourfingered
robotic hand Spacehand, small exploration systems
like MASCOT or several Pan-Tilt-Units on rovers
emphasize the need for a highly integrated, high performance
motor controller with a small foot print.
This paper presents a three Phase brushless DC Motor
Driver for medium radiation levels which was developed
at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics of the German
Aerospace Center (DLR). This module is able to
withstand 120W of continuous motor power, offers interfaces
for analogue and digital motor position measurements
as well as a standard high level communication interface
on a single board with an extremely small footprint.
Due to its small footprint, multiple boards could be
used within a robotic system to drive multiple motors synchronously.
Simulations have been performed to show
the increase in performance that can be achieved through
the simultaneous motion of multiple actuators. A potential
application is MASCOT-2 (Mobile Asteroid Surface
sCOuT), which is analyzed as a case study to present the
benefits of a multi-actuator system for relocation and attitude
control in low-gravity environments