Path Planning of Space Robots by Using Nonlinear Optimization Technique

Abstract

Space robots, which consist of a satellite base and a manipulator mounted on it, are expected to perform various tasks for construction and maintenance of space structures. Since the angular momentum of the space robot system is conserved, the motion of the system is subject to nonholonomic, constraints. When the manipulator makes motion from an initial position to a desired position, variation of the base orientation depends on the trajectory of the motion owing to the nonholonomic property of the system. Since the satellite base is desired to have a constant orientation, we seek such a trajectory of the manipulator that a given motion is attained, that the base orientation is unchanged before and after the motion, and that the integral of the sum of squares of accelerations of the joint angles during motion is minimized.