Space Robotics

Robotic technologies are beneficial for future space exploration for high productivity, low cost, and high reliability. We have been developing some fundamental technologies for space robotics for many years and have made contributions in design, control, dynamics, modeling and real-time implementation of various space robotics systems.

We are currently interested in the following research problems:

(1)Underactuated robot: dynamic compiling, nonholonomic natures, and robust control.

(2)Free-floating/free flighting robot: dynamics, control, stabilization, and design.

(3)Telerobotics: time-delay due to communication and system dynamics, delay insensitive interface.

(4)Aerospace robotics testbed: zero-gravity environment, free-floating experimental testbed.

(5)Space operational robots: extra-vehicle activity, inner-vehicle activity, ball-type micro-robotic-satellite.

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HOT SPOT

Freeform Robot

Modular self-reconfigurable robotic systems have strong self-adaptation and self-healing ability, which makes it capable of coping with various tasks in complex and changeable environments. Most existing modular self-reconfigurable robots have connection constraints on the mechanical structure. Their relative positioning and motion planning capacities are also limited to the structured environment, which is different from the real and changing environment. To break these limitations, this project aims to develop key technologies for modular self-reconfiguration robots to be applied in unstructured environments. The research results can lay a theoretical and technical foundation for the development of swarm robots and field robots, and can also be widely used in the areas of search and rescue, space exploration, etc. More info:

Omni-directional Vehicle

The omni-directional kart, named “OK-1”, is a hybrid electric vehicle with technology of omni-directional steering, which is designed and developed in the Advance Robotics Lab. It is omni-directional, because it can make crab-like parallel translation and tornado-like rotation. Hence, parking becomes an easy manipulation for even a freshman of driving.Omni-directional steering technology consists of 4 wheel independent drive-by-wire technology and 4 wheel independent steer-by-wire technology. For every steer-drive module, there is one steering motor and one driving motor. The four modules can be configured into various steering modes, for instances front wheel steering, four wheel steering, zero-radius turning, lateral parking, etc. The vehicle mobility is significantly enhanced, and consequently, parking in tight regions becomes a piece of cake. Meanwhile, the canceling of traditional transition and steering mechanism makes the mass center of the vehicle lower, and thus the vehicle is more stable.With the capability of zero-radius turning (ZRT), rotation of the vehicle can be independent on translation. Thus the occupied area is minimized, and there is almost no turn which can not be made by OK-1. For laterally arranged parking slots, ZRT mode can help to park the vehicle easily.With the mode of lateral parking (LP), lateral translation is independent on rotation of the vehicle. In the occasion that the vehicle is restricted by a front vehicle and a rear one, it can still move in or our freely.