MRSRS: Modular Reconfigurable Space Robotic System for Future Space Exploration and Its Standard Interface

Abstract

This article introduces the design, development, and experimental investigation of an advanced modular reconfigurable space robotic system (MRSRS). A standard interface (SI) is the core technology of the MRSRS. First, a lightweight and reliable SI (PETLOCK) with load, power, and data transfer capacities is developed. PETLOCK features a genderless 3D face and an innovative internal locking mechanism, which ensures PETLOCK has a large misalignment tolerance and a high mechanical load capacity. PETLOCK can simultaneously withstand 48 V @ 2400 W, 5 V @ 50 W power transmission and EtherCAT, CAN data transmission through POGO pins. Additionally, PETLOCK can obtain visual information through a cam-era. Using PETLOCK, three types of joint modules are developed, including one 3-DOF module and two 2-DOF modules. Meanwhile, the forward and inverse kinematic (IK) solution methods are proposed for the MRSRS. Finally, experimental studies are conducted on PETLOCK and the MRSRS. The assembly and disassembly experiments of the 7-DOF MRSRS, along with a repeatability positioning error of 0.092 mm and a 2512 N PETLOCK load-bearing test, demonstrate the system's high adaptability and robustness. Additionally, for the two configurations of the MRSRS, the IK solution success rates were 99.0% and 98.52%, respectively.