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Aerospace
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Space Robotics and Mechatronics
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Space Robotics and Mechatronics

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Astronautics & Space Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 7913

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Robin Chhabra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
Interests: robotics; mechatronics
Dr. Michael C. F. Bazzocchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA
Interests: astronautics; robotics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Aerospace is delighted to present the Special Issue in Space Robotics and Mechatronics. 

We seek high-quality scholarly articles on key topics related to space robotics and space mechatronics to be published in this Special Issue. We aim to cover recent theoretical and technological advancements in the field and promote discussion across active researchers. Contributions to various robotic payloads are welcomed in this Special Issue: space manipulators, rover systems, drones, continuum manipulators, and other types of robotic systems for space applications.

This Special Issue publishes a wide range of articles, including full-length, short correspondences, and review papers. 

Topics of interest include but, are not limited to, the following: 

  1. New technologies developed for space robotics, including sensors, actuators, science instruments, fabrication methods and materials, etc.
  2. Advancements in methodologies for modelling and analyzing space robotic systems.
  3. Mechatronic (system-level) analysis and design of space technologies.
  4. Advancements in the guidance, navigation, and control of space robotic systems.
  5. Space robotic mission design for various programs, such as Lunar Gateway, Lunar Rover, Deep Space Exploration, On-orbit Servicing, Mars Exploration, etc.
  6. New space robotic concepts.
  7. Advancements in application of soft robotics, reconfigurable robotics, and multi-agent systems in space robotic missions.

Dr. Robin Chhabra
Dr. Michael C. F. Bazzocchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1604 KiB  
Article
Space Manipulator Collision Avoidance Using a Deep Reinforcement Learning Control
by James Blaise and Michael C. F. Bazzocchi
Aerospace 2023, 10(9), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10090778 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2123
Abstract
Recent efforts in on-orbit servicing, manufacturing, and debris removal have accentuated some of the challenges related to close-proximity space manipulation. Orbital debris threatens future space endeavors driving active removal missions. Additionally, refueling missions have become increasingly viable to prolong satellite life and mitigate [...] Read more.
Recent efforts in on-orbit servicing, manufacturing, and debris removal have accentuated some of the challenges related to close-proximity space manipulation. Orbital debris threatens future space endeavors driving active removal missions. Additionally, refueling missions have become increasingly viable to prolong satellite life and mitigate future debris generation. The ability to capture cooperative and non-cooperative spacecraft is an essential step for refueling or removal missions. In close-proximity capture, collision avoidance remains a challenge during trajectory planning for space manipulators. In this research, a deep reinforcement learning control approach is applied to a three-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to capture space objects and avoid collisions. This approach is investigated in both free-flying and free-floating scenarios, where the target object is either cooperative or non-cooperative. A deep reinforcement learning controller is trained for each scenario to effectively reach a target capture location on a simulated spacecraft model while avoiding collisions. Collisions between the base spacecraft and the target spacecraft are avoided in the planned manipulator trajectories. The trained model is tested for each scenario and the results for the manipulator and base motion are detailed and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Robotics and Mechatronics)
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28 pages, 8096 KiB  
Article
Integrated Conceptual Design and Parametric Control Assessment for a Hybrid Mobility Lunar Hopper
by Jasmine Rimani, Giordana Bucchioni, Andrea Dan Ryals, Nicole Viola and Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez
Aerospace 2023, 10(8), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10080669 - 27 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1442
Abstract
The lunar lava tubes are envisioned as possible hosting structures for a human base in the Moon’s equatorial regions, providing shelter from radiations, micrometeoroids, and temperature excursion. A first robotic mission is set to scout the habitability of these underground architectures in the [...] Read more.
The lunar lava tubes are envisioned as possible hosting structures for a human base in the Moon’s equatorial regions, providing shelter from radiations, micrometeoroids, and temperature excursion. A first robotic mission is set to scout the habitability of these underground architectures in the near future. The communication inside these underground tunnels is heavily constrained; hence, the scouting system should rely on a high degree of autonomy. At the same time, the exploration system may encounter different types of terrain, requiring an adaptable mobility subsystem able to travel fast on basaltic terrain while avoiding considerable obstacles. This paper presents a cave explorer’s mission study and preliminary sizing targeting the lunar lava tubes. The study proposes using a hybrid mobility system with wheels and thrusters to navigate smoothly inside the lava tubes. The peculiar mobility system of the cave explorer requires an accurate study of the adaptability of its control capabilities with the change of mass for a given set of sensors and actuators. The combination of conceptual design techniques and control assessment gives the engineer a clear indication of the feasible design box for the studied system during the initial formulation phases of a mission. This first part of the study focuses on framing the stakeholders’ needs and identifying the required capabilities of the cave explorer. Furthermore, the study focuses on assessing a design box in terms of mass and power consumption for the cave explorer. Following different mission-level assessments, a more detailed design of the cave explorer is discussed, providing an initial design in terms of mass and power consumption. Finally, the objective shifts toward studying the performances of the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms varying the mass of the cave explorer. The GNC significantly impacts the design box of the surface planetary system. Hence, investigating its limitations can indicate the feasibility of mass growth to accommodate, for example, more payload. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Robotics and Mechatronics)
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17 pages, 6750 KiB  
Article
Space Robot On-Orbit Operation of Insertion and Extraction Impedance Control Based on Adaptive Neural Network
by Dongbo Liu and Li Chen
Aerospace 2023, 10(5), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10050466 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1488
Abstract
The on-orbit operation of insertion and extraction of space robots is a technology essential to the assembly and maintenance in orbit, satellite fuel filling, failed satellite recovery, especially modular in-orbit assembly of micro-spacecraft. Therefore, the force/posture impedance control for the on-orbit operation of [...] Read more.
The on-orbit operation of insertion and extraction of space robots is a technology essential to the assembly and maintenance in orbit, satellite fuel filling, failed satellite recovery, especially modular in-orbit assembly of micro-spacecraft. Therefore, the force/posture impedance control for the on-orbit operation of insertion and extraction is studied. Firstly, the dynamic model of space robots’ system in the form of uncontrolled carrier position and controlled attitude is derived by using the momentum conservation principle. Through the kinematic constraints of the replacement component plug, the Jacobi relationship of the plug motion in the base coordinate system is established. Secondly, to achieve the output force control of the plug during the on-orbit operation of insertion and extraction, a second-order linear impedance model is established based on the dynamic relationship between the plug posture and its output force and the impedance control principle. Then, in order to improve the stability, robustness, and adaptability of the controller, an adaptive Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) is used to approximate the uncertainties in the dynamic model for the force/posture control of the plug. Finally, the stability of the system is verified by the Lyapunov principle. The simulation results show that the designed neural network impedance control strategy can achieve a control accuracy of less than 10−3 rad for the plug’s attitude tracking error, less than 10−3 m for its position tracking error, and less than 0.5 N for its output force tracking error. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Robotics and Mechatronics)
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14 pages, 2542 KiB  
Article
Analysis and Experimental Study of Excitation Force Transfer Path of Optical Satellite Refrigeration Module
by Haitao Luo, Ziyang Liu, Chaohui Fan and Fengqun Zhao
Aerospace 2023, 10(1), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10010052 - 4 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1464
Abstract
When the problem of the reaction force under the receiver structure is complicated, the existing force-based transfer path analysis method is not suitable for its analysis. Therefore, an improved reaction force transfer path analysis method is proposed in this paper. In the transfer [...] Read more.
When the problem of the reaction force under the receiver structure is complicated, the existing force-based transfer path analysis method is not suitable for its analysis. Therefore, an improved reaction force transfer path analysis method is proposed in this paper. In the transfer path analysis method based on the modal superposition method, the penalty function method is introduced, and the path contribution of the receiving end reaction force is evaluated by analyzing the displacement response of the connection between the transfer path and the receiving end. A simulation analysis of a satellite refrigeration module vibration isolation device designed by the research group identified the main factors affecting the vibration isolation efficiency of the vibration isolation ring, and provided guidance for subsequent further optimization. The device was tested and analyzed by building an experimental platform, and the obtained simulation data fit well with the test data. These conclusions further show that the proposed analysis method can more accurately and conveniently analyze the path contribution of the receiving end reaction force under specific working conditions. This method is suitable for analyzing the transfer path of the reaction force at the receiving end in the design stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Robotics and Mechatronics)
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