ICRA '08 Space Robotics Workshops (Orbital Robotics)

To be held Tuesday, May 20, 2008, in Pasadena, California. See also the Planetary Rovers Workshop, organized by Richard Volpe.

Workshop Call for Participation

Workshop call PDF file

Organized by Rick Wagner (Northrop Grumman Space Technology), Chairman, Space Robotics TC.

Email: Rickhard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com

Abstract

This full day workshop on robots in space (as distinguished from planetary robotics) is proposed by the IEEE RAS TC on Space Robotics and it will be a good complement to Richard Volpe’s proposed full day Planetary Rover Workshop. Robots can help astronauts in space by reducing astronaut extra-vehicular activity (EVA) time by performing tasks that otherwise would be performed by astronauts, and by assisting astronauts during EVA. As space exploration mission durations increase, the need to reduce astronaut workload increases. Inspection, maintenance, and repair in space become more important for long duration space travel, such as for missions to the Moon and Mars. This workshop will illuminate issues and potential solutions to the unique problems of robots in the zero-gravity, vacuum, and radiation environment of space. Associated topics include human-robot interfaces, robot-robot cooperation, zero-gravity locomotion, free flier robot navigation and docking, and robotic inspection and repair of space vehicles.

Motivation and Objectives

Robotic assistance to astronauts in space has an enormous and almost untapped potential to facilitate space exploration. Reductions in EVA time for astronauts not only reduce astronaut workload, but lead to reduced mass for space suits, spare parts, and consumables. This workshop will bring together the latest approaches to reaping these potential benefits for space exploration programs of nations all over the world. In addition, un-crewed vehicle operations are also augmented and enabled by robotics.

List of Topics

Legged locomotion in zero-gravity and grippers (sticky, electrostatic, etc.)
Space robotics algorithms
Manipulation in space
Free flier robot attitude control and space docking
Mission design for robotics in space
Human-robot and robot-robot communication in and around crewed and uncrewed space vehicles
Space robotics industrial processes

Key Dates

Deadline for submission of contributions: January 15, 2008 (past)
Final Program Ready by February 15, 2008 (past)
Preparation and submission of the final workshop materials (to be included in the ICRA 2008 Workshops and Tutorials CD-DVD) by March 1, 2008 (past, materials submitted)
Orbital Robotics Workshop: May 20, 2008

Coffee and lunch are provided by the conference in the lobby of the conference building itself. All these are self-serve buffet style. Times:

AM Coffee	10:40-11:00
Lunch		12:40-14:00
PM Coffee	15:40-16:00

List of Presenters

Program was adjusted March 18, 2008 to conform to conference break schedule to maximize opprotunities for discussions and interactions among participants.

Time Presenter and Topic

09:00-09:30 Welcome and Introduction
Rick Wagner, Chairman, Space Robotics TC

09:30-10:00 Keynote Speaker
David Akin (University of Maryland, USA)

10:00-10:30 Grippers for Space Locomotion
Rick Wagner (Northrop Grumman Space Technology, USA)

10:30-11:00 Morning Break

11:00-11:30 Recent Research Developments on Spacecraft Proximity Dynamics
and Control at the Spacecraft Robotics Laboratory
Marcello Romano, Riccardo Bevilacqua, Jason Hall, and Paul Oppenheimer
(Naval Postgraduate School, USA)

11:30-12:00 Modeling of Impact Dynamics and Impedance Control for Soft Grasp of a
Floating Target
Kazuya Yoshida and Hiroki Nakanishi (Tohoku University, Japan)

12:00-12:30 Hyper-R: A Flexible, Packable, Space Robotic Arm
Peter Will (University of Southern California, USA)

12:30-14:00 Lunch Break

14:00-14:30 ROKVISS: Verification of Advanced Light Weight Robotic Joints and
Tele-Presence Concepts for Future Space Missions
Klaus Landzettel, Alin Albu-Schäffer, Bernhard Brunner, Alexander Beyer,
Erich Krämer, Carsten Preusche, Detlef Reintsema, Bernhard-Michael Steinmetz,
Hans-Jürgen Sedlmayr, and Gerd Hirzinger
(DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Insitute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Germany)

14:30-15:00 Planning and Control of Space Robotic Systems on Orbitslides
Evangelos Papadopoulos and Ioannis Tortopidis
(National Technical University of Athens, Greece)

15:00-15:30 The Programming and Training of a Multitasking Sensory Motor
Controlled EVA-Robot Operating In a Zero-g Environment
Presentation slides; Full paper
Alan Rosen and David B. Rosen (Machine Consciousness, USA)

15:30-16:00 Afternoon Break

16:00-17:00 Open Discussion
All

Time	Presenter and Topic
09:00-09:30	Welcome and Introduction Rick Wagner, Chairman, Space Robotics TC
09:30-10:00	Keynote Speaker David Akin (University of Maryland, USA)
10:00-10:30	Grippers for Space Locomotion Rick Wagner (Northrop Grumman Space Technology, USA)
10:30-11:00	Morning Break
11:00-11:30	Recent Research Developments on Spacecraft Proximity Dynamics and Control at the Spacecraft Robotics Laboratory Marcello Romano, Riccardo Bevilacqua, Jason Hall, and Paul Oppenheimer (Naval Postgraduate School, USA)
11:30-12:00	Modeling of Impact Dynamics and Impedance Control for Soft Grasp of a Floating Target Kazuya Yoshida and Hiroki Nakanishi (Tohoku University, Japan)
12:00-12:30	Hyper-R: A Flexible, Packable, Space Robotic Arm Peter Will (University of Southern California, USA)
12:30-14:00	Lunch Break
14:00-14:30	ROKVISS: Verification of Advanced Light Weight Robotic Joints and Tele-Presence Concepts for Future Space Missions Klaus Landzettel, Alin Albu-Schäffer, Bernhard Brunner, Alexander Beyer, Erich Krämer, Carsten Preusche, Detlef Reintsema, Bernhard-Michael Steinmetz, Hans-Jürgen Sedlmayr, and Gerd Hirzinger (DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Insitute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Germany)
14:30-15:00	Planning and Control of Space Robotic Systems on Orbitslides Evangelos Papadopoulos and Ioannis Tortopidis (National Technical University of Athens, Greece)
15:00-15:30	The Programming and Training of a Multitasking Sensory Motor Controlled EVA-Robot Operating In a Zero-g Environment Presentation slides; Full paper Alan Rosen and David B. Rosen (Machine Consciousness, USA)
15:30-16:00	Afternoon Break
16:00-17:00	Open Discussion All

Intended Audience

The workshop will be of interest to both space robotics researchers and applications developers. Researchers working in the areas of robot architectures for space, cooperative robotics, teleoperation, and zero gravity locomotion should find this workshop particularly valuable. Designers of space power and thermal systems as applied to robotics and space system engineers should also find this workshop of interest.

Relation To Previous ICRA Workshop

The ICRA ’07 full day Space Robotics Workshop covered both planetary rovers and orbital robotics and was well attended and well received. It was the consensus of the attendees that we not only repeat the workshop at ICRA ’08, but expand it if possible. To that end, Richard Volpe (My Co-Chair of the Space Robotics TC) is proposing a full day planetary rover workshop. A survey of potential contributors to this proposed orbital robotics workshop shows that we will not only fill a full day, but will probably have to squeeze some presentations in.

Space Robotics Technical Committee