Cooperative Transportation of a Flexible Object Towards Construction of a Martian Habitat

Abstract

Future space exploration will likely include teams of autonomous robots that can perform various tasks in order to minimize human risk and maximize mission efficiency. One particular task may include the autonomous construction of a lunar or Martian habitat to prepare for long-duration human habitation on an extraterrestrial surface. This paper describes the development of an autonomous team of two robots that cooperatively transports a long construction object. Three major aspects of the project are discussed: the measurement of robot states, the design of cooperative control laws that govern the motion of the two-robot team, and the design of the central-PC infrastructure.