Self-assembly in space via self-reconfigurable robots

Abstract

Self-assembly systems in space are arguably within the reach of today's technology based on the research and development of self-reconfigurable robots on earth. This paper presents an approach to self-assembly in space by developing: (1) a novel design for intelligent and reconfigurable components; (2) the free-flying "intelligent fiber/rope" "match-maker" robots with self-reconfigurable and self-adjustable tethering for autonomous docking; and (3) a totally distributed control method for planning, executing, and monitoring the assembly process. These approaches are partially evaluated by a set of experimental and simulation results to simulate the dynamics and control of free-flying objects in zero-gravity environment.