Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Path planning of a free-floating space robot based on the degree of controllability

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An effective and more efficient path planning algorithm is developed for a kinematically non-redundant free-floating space robot (FFSR) system by proposing a concept of degree of controllability (DOC) for underactuated systems. The DOC concept is proposed for making full use of the internal couplings and then achieving a better control effect, followed by a certain definition of controllability measurement which measures the DOC, based on obtaining an explicit and finite equivalent affine system and singular value decomposition. A simple method for nilpotent approximation of the Lie algebra generated by the FFSR system is put forward by direct Taylor expansion when obtaining the equivalent system. Afterwards, a large-controllability-measurement (LCM) nominal path is searched by a weighted A* algorithm, and an optimal self-correcting method is designed to track the nominal path approximately, yielding an efficient underactuated path. The proposed strategy successfully avoids the drawback of inefficiency inherent in previous path-planning schemes, which is due to the neglect of internal couplings, and illustrative numerical examples show its efficacy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shoemaker J, Wright M. Orbital express space operations architecture program. In: Jr P T, Wright M, eds. Defense and Security, International Society for Optics and Photonics, Florida: SPIE, 2004. 57–65

    Google Scholar 

  2. Debus T J, Dougherty S P. Overview and performance of the front-end robotics enabling near-term demonstration (FREND) robotic arm. In: Proc. AIAA Infotech@ Aerospace Conference, Washington, 2009. 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  3. Flores A A, Ma O, Pham K, et al. A review of space robotics technologies for on-orbit servicing. Prog Aerosp Sci, 2014, 68: 1–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ali S, Moosavian A, Papadopoulos E. Free-flying robots in space: an overview of dynamics modeling, planning and control. Robotica, 2007, 25: 537–547

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dubowsky S, Papadopoulos E. The kinematics, dynamics, and control of free-flying and free-floating space robotic systems. IEEE T Robotic Autom, 1993, 9: 531–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Nenchev D, Umetani Y, Yoshida K. Analysis of a redundant free-flying spacecraft/manipulator system. IEEE T Robotic Autom, 1992, 8: 1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Nakamura Y, Mukherjee R. Exploiting nonholonomic redundancy of free-flying space robot. IEEE T Robotic Autom, 1993, 9: 499–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Huang X H, Xu S J. Free floating space robot kinematic modeling and analysis. Adv Astronaut Sci, 2014, 150: 2067–2077

    Google Scholar 

  9. Li Z X, Canny J F. Nonholonomic Motion Planning. New York: Springer, 2012

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Yoshida K, Umetani Y. Control of space manipulators with generalized Jacobian matrix. In: Xu Y S, Kanade T, eds. Space Robotics: Dynamics and Control. New York: Springer, 1993. 165–204

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Xu W F, Liang B, Li C, et al. Path planning of free-floating robot in Cartesian space using direct kinematics. Int J Adv Robot Syst, 2007, 4: 17–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Huang P F, Xu Y S. SVM-based learning control of space robot in capturing operation. Int J Neural Syst, 2007, 17: 467–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Torres M A, Dubowsky S. Minimizing spacecraft attitude disturbances in space manipulator systems. J Guid Control Dynam, 1992, 15: 1010–1017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Okubo H, Nagano N, Komatsu N, et al. Path planning for space manipulators to reduce Attitude disturbances. J Guid Control Dynam, 1997, 20: 609–611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Yoshida K, Hashizume K, Abiko S. Zero reaction maneuver: flight validation with ETS-VII space robot and extension to kinematically redundant arm. In: Proc IEEE Int Conf on Robotics and Automation, Seoul, Korea, 2001. 1–26

    Google Scholar 

  16. Huang P F, Xu Y S, Liang B. Balance control of multi-arm free-floating space robots during capture operation. In: Proc IEEE Int Conf on Robotics and Biomimetics, Barcelona, Spain, 2005. 398–403

    Google Scholar 

  17. Fernandes C, Gurvits L, Li Z X. Attitude control of space platform/ manipulator system using internal motion. In: Xu Y S, Kanade T, eds. Space Robotics: Dynamics and Control. New York: Springer, 1993. 131–163

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Ge X S, Li H, Zhang Q Z. Nonholonomic motion planning of space robotics based on the genetic algorithm with wavelet approximation. In: IEEE Int Conf on Control and Automation, Jinan, 2007. 1977–1980

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wang M, Luo J, Walter U. Trajectory planning of free-floating space robot using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Acta Astronaut, 2015, 112: 77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Huang P F, Xu Y S, Liang B. Global minimum-jerk trajectory planning of space manipulator. Int J Control Autom Syst, 2006, 4: 405–413

    Google Scholar 

  21. Tortopidis I, Papadopoulos E. On point-to-point motion planning for underactuated space manipulator systems. Robot Auton Syst, 2007, 55: 122–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Xu W F, Liu Y, Liang B, et al. Non-holonomic path planning of a free-floating space robotic system using genetic algorithms. Adv Robotics, 2008, 22: 451–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Liu H T, Yang L P, Zhang Q B, et al. Motion planning of free-floating space robot based on Gauss pseudo-spectral method (in Chinese). In: Proc IEEE Chinese Control Conference (CCC), Hefei, China, 2012. 4825–4829

    Google Scholar 

  24. Nakamura Y, Mukherjee R. Nonholonomic motion planning of free-flying space robots via a bi-directional approach. IEEE T Robotic Autom, 1991, 7: 500–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Vafa Z, Dubowsky S. On the dynamics of space manipulator using the virtual manipulator with application to path planning. J Astronaut Sci, 1990, 38: 441–472

    Google Scholar 

  26. Nakamura Y, Suzuki T. Planning spiral motions of nonholonomic free-flying space robots. J Spacecraft Rockets, 1997, 34: 137–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Yang B X, Du G X, Quan Q, et al. The degree of controllability with limited input and an application for hexacopter design (in Chinese). In: IEEE Chinese Control Conference (CCC), Xi’an, China, 2013. 113–118

    Google Scholar 

  28. Abdel-Magid Y L, Abido M A. Robust coordinated design of excitation and TCSC-based stabilizers using genetic algorithms. Electr Pow Syst Res, 2004, 69: 129–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Hermes H, Lundell A, Sullivan D. Nilpotent bases for distributions and control systems. J Differ Equations, 1984, 55: 385–400

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. He G P. Studies on the dynamics and control of the elastic underactuated legged robots (in Chinese). Postdoctoral Research Report. Beijing: Peking University, 2008. 22–29

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ferguson D, Likhachev M, Stentz A. A guide to heuristic-based path planning. In: Proc Int Workshop on Planning Under Uncertainty for Autonomous Systems, International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling (ICAPS), California, USA, 2005. 9–18

    Google Scholar 

  32. Fernandes E, Costa P, Lima J, et al. Towards an orientation enhanced astar algorithm for robotic navigation. In: IEEE Int Conf on Industrial Technology, Sevilla, Spain, 2015. 3320–3325

    Google Scholar 

  33. Richard M, Li Z X, Sastry S S. A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation. Florida: CRC Press, 1994. 375–382

    MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    XingHong Huang, YingHong Jia & ShiJie Xu

Authors
  1. XingHong Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. YingHong Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. ShiJie Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to YingHong Jia.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Huang, X., Jia, Y. & Xu, S. Path planning of a free-floating space robot based on the degree of controllability. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 60, 251–263 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-6069-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-6069-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation