Towards An Intuitive Virtual Reality Interface using Cable-Driven Parallel Robots for Space Exploration

Abstract

Space Exploration is a continuously flourishing field of research, as NASA has a plethora of ongoing missions to be achieved over the next few years. With the advent of many robotic platforms dedicated for space exploration such as NASA's Dragonfly, their Mars Perserverance Rover, and many more, it is evident that these types of robots will continue to play a key role. Despite their success, the limited man power for such specialized operators, reliability concerns with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones) in such harsh environments, and the limited battery life justify the consideration of different approaches. This paper presents work towards a suspended Cable-Driven Parallel Robot (CDPR), paired with an intuitive Virtual Reality interface designed for space exploration. Real-time 3D Point Cloud visualization can potentially grant the operator a greater sense of immersion, and can allow any operator to view the environment around the CDPR. Along with the benefits of a CDPR, an immersive VR interface gives operators intuitive control through rigorous tasks.