Visual Servoing of Space Robot for Autonomous Satellite Capture

Abstract

On-orbit servicing, such as refueling, repairing, and orbit recovery, will be essential for space activities in the next generation for both manned and unmanned space systems. One of the most important and most difficult tasks in on-orbit servicing is capturing a “customer satellite” using a manipulator that can move dynamically in a wide range of space. A visual servoing technique that controls and guides the manipulator based on a camera image is required to perform this dynamic task. It is necessary to establish boundary conditions; in other words, to specify the task by assessing the environment and setting proper conditions for in order to execute it under the constraints of on-board computing power and the severe lighting conditions of space. This paper describes the design concept of a visual servoing system for a space robot and presents the results of an on-orbit experiment using Japanese Engineering Test Satellite VII (ETS-VII) that was designed based on this concept.