Ground experiment system for dual-manipulator-based capture of damaged satellites

Abstract

A robot satellite with dual-manipulators is one of the choices to capture damaged satellites in orbit. We have constructed a ground experiment simulator system including two 7-degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulators as a chaser satellite model and floating testbeds on a flat floor as target satellite models. This system is a tele-operation ground experiment system and consists of the following subsystems: the robot system, vision system, manipulator operating system, ground control system and damage satellite model system. Using this system, we will study feasible capturing and berthing methods of damaged satellites using dual-manipulators. In the paper we explain the detailed description of the system and report the results of fundamental capture experiments.