Capture and detumbling control for active debris removal by a dual-arm space robot

Active debris removal (ADR) technology is an effective approach to remediate the proliferation of space debris, which seriously threatens the operational safety of orbital spacecraft. This study aims to design a controller for a dual-arm space robot to capture tumbling debris, including capture control and detumbling control. Typical space debris is considered as a non-cooperative target, which has no specific capture points and unknown dynamic parameters. Compliant clamping control and the adaptive backstepping-based prescribed trajectory tracking control (PTTC) method are proposed in this paper. First, the differential geometry theory is utilized to establish the constraint equations, the dynamic model of the chaser-target system is obtained by applying the Hamilton variational principle, and the compliance clamping controller is further designed to capture the non-cooperative target without contact force feedback. Next, in the post-capture phase, an adaptive backstepping-based PTTC is proposed to detumble the combined spacecraft in the presence of model uncertainties. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to validate the feasibility of the proposed capture and detumbling control method. Simulation results indicate that the target detumbling achieved by the PTTC method can reduce propellant consumption by up to 24.11%.     

空间翻滚非合作目标消旋技术发展综述

大量残存太空的空间垃圾对在轨运行航天器的安全构成严重威胁,对其进行主动移除已迫在眉睫。火箭末级、失效卫星等非合作目标已失去姿态调整能力,且长期在失控状态下运行,受太阳光压、重力梯度等摄动力矩及失效前自身残余角动量等因素的影响往往会出现翻滚运动。对翻滚非合作目标直接捕获存在碰撞风险,为降低风险系数采取消旋后再捕获是较为合适的方式。在对火箭末级、失效卫星等典型非合作目标运动形式及消旋过程进行分析的基础上,综述了目前国内外所提出的接触式及非接触式消旋方法,并对非合作目标翻滚运动测量及动力学参数辨识和消旋控制这两项消旋共性关键技术进行了归纳总结。本综述将为中国空间碎片主动清除技术的发展提供有益参考。     

Area-oriented coordinated trajectory planning of dual-arm space robot for capturing a tumbling target

The growing amount of space debris poses a threat to operational spacecraft and the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space. According to the orbital mechanics, an uncontrolled space object will be tumbling, bringing great challenge to capture and remove it. In this paper, a dual-arm coordinated ‘‘Area-Oriented Capture"(AOC) method is proposed to capture a non-cooperative tumbling target. Firstly, the motion equation of the tumbling target is established, based on which, the dynamic properties are analyzed. Then, the ‘‘Area-Oriented Capture"concept is presented to deal with the problem of large pose(position and attitude) deviation and tumbling motion. An area rather than fixed points/devices is taken as the object to be tracked and captured. As long as the manipulators' end-effectors move to a specified range of the objective areas(not fixed points on the target, but areas), the target satellite will be hugged by the two arms.At last, the proposed method and the traditional method(i.e. fixed-point oriented capture method)are compared and analyzed through simulation. The results show that the proposed method has larger pose tolerance and takes shorter time for capturing a tumbling target.     

基于特征模型的失效航天器消旋控制

失效航天器一般有复杂的运动和较大的角速度,采用机械臂直接抓捕目标容易导致非预期碰撞,如果先采用接触式消旋操作降低目标角速度,会大大降低服务卫星抓捕目标的难度。针对空间翻滚非合作目标的接触式消旋控制存在接触动力学模型不确定性的问题,提出了一种基于特征模型的自适应控制方法。首先通过接触式消旋的物理机理分析,建立消旋系统动力学模型;进一步在动力学特性分析基础上构建描述接触碰撞后目标角速度的特征模型,并确定模型参数范围;然后基于该模型设计黄金分割自适应控制律。仿真结果表明,该方法有效克服了消旋过程中接触碰撞模型存在的不确定性,并且消旋速度快且消旋后的残余角速度小。     

漂浮基空间机器人捕获卫星过程动力学模拟及捕获后混合体运动的RBF神经网络控制

 讨论了漂浮基空间机器人在轨捕获目标卫星过程的碰撞动力学建模,以及捕获操作结束后空间机器人与卫星混合体的稳定控制问题。首先采用多刚体动力学建模方法并结合空间机器人捕获目标卫星过程中的碰撞动力学特性,建立了漂浮基空间机器人在轨捕获漂浮卫星过程的动力学模型,并在此基础上计算出完成捕获操作后空间机器人与目标卫星混合体关节的运动速度。然后针对卫星及空间机器人系统惯性参数均是未知的复杂情况,应用上述模型、神经网络控制理论和Lyapunov稳定性理论,设计了空间机器人与卫星混合体在捕获过程碰撞冲击影响下稳定运动的高斯径向基函数神经网络控制方案,以达到对捕获卫星的有效控制。此外,高斯径向基函数神经网络控制方案具有不需要测量和反馈载体位置、移动速度与加速度的显著优点。系统数值仿真证实了上述控制方案的有效性。     

翻滚非合作目标逼近与跟踪的轨道和姿态控制

面向近距离逼近与捕获翻滚非合作目标的在轨服务空间清理任务需求,研究了航天器非合作式交会对接的轨道和姿态控制问题。在控制输入受限约束下,考虑存在参数不确定性和外部扰动的情况,结合滑模控制和自适应控制技术,分别进行鲁棒自适应位置和姿态控制器设计。利用自适应控制估计参数不确定性、未知干扰上界以及滑模控制反馈系数矩阵,提高了系统的鲁棒性。通过李雅普诺夫理论证明了系统在控制器作用下全局一致最终有界稳定。仿真结果验证了控制器的有效性,能够有效解决与高速旋转非合作目标的稳定相对位姿关系建立的难题。     

空间机器人抓捕目标后的载荷分配

针对多臂空间机器人以软指接触形式抓捕目标后的情形,提出了一种综合考虑摩擦约束及机械臂能力约束的目标期望合外力的载荷分配方法。首先,建立空间机器人系统与目标的动力学方程,作为载荷分配问题的基础。然后,在地面机器人相关研究的基础上,建立机械臂末端与目标表面的软指接触模型,并建立二者之间的运动约束关系。为简化优化计算,将摩擦锥约束线性化,并建立考虑关节扭矩限制的机械臂能力约束,从而将抓捕力优化的非线性规划问题转化为线性规划问题。最后,采用双臂空间机器人模型进行数值仿真,表明所提方法针对目标各种形式运动进行载荷分配的有效性。     

基于机器人柔性毛刷的空间翻滚目标消旋

设计了一种柔性减速刷消旋机构，将其安装于七自由度机械臂的末端，通过与翻滚目标帆板之间的接触碰撞进行消旋。利用绝对节点坐标法推导了柔性减速刷的动力学模型，并对其接触碰撞进行分析。针对自由漂浮空间机器人动力学建模和基座姿态的控制进行了研究，采用基于计算力矩法的滑模控制策略，对末端参数不确定的七自由度机械臂进行控制。滑模控制具有快速响应、对参数变化及扰动不灵敏等特点，确保了系统的全局鲁棒性和稳定性。有利于节省消旋时间，提高消旋效率。通过PD控制和滑模控制消旋仿真验证，该消旋策略能够成功消除初始旋转速度，消旋程度达90%以上，具有可行性与有效性。     

Pre-impact trajectory planning for minimizing base attitude disturbance in space manipulator systems for a capture task

Aimed at capture task for a free-floating space manipulator, a scheme of pre-impact trajectory planning for minimizing base attitude disturbance caused by impact is proposed in this paper.Firstly, base attitude disturbance is established as a function of joint angles, collision direction and relative velocity between robotic hand and the target.Secondly, on the premise of keeping correct capture pose, a novel optimization factor in null space is designed to minimize base attitude disturbance and ensure that the joint angles do not exceed their limits simultaneously.After reaching the balance state, a desired configuration is achieved at the contact point.Thereafter, particle swarm optimization(PSO) algorithm is employed to solve the pre-impact trajectory planning from its initial configuration to the desired configuration to achieve the minimized base attitude disturbance caused by impact and the correct capture pose simultaneously.Finally, the proposed method is applied to a 7-dof free-floating space manipulator and the simulation results verify the effectiveness.     

空间机器人捕获漂浮目标的抓取控制

提出了动态抓取域用于空间机器人捕获漂浮目标的抓取控制。空间机器人捕获漂浮目标时,由于机械臂与基体的动力学耦合、抓取时的碰撞激振等非线性特性使得抓取控制变得复杂而重要。首先建立了空间机器人及漂浮目标的动力学模型,而后引入了末端装置抓取目标时的碰撞模型,并提出了"动态抓取域"用于机械臂抓取目标时的控制,同时应用关节主动阻尼控制,以减小抓取碰撞激振对空间机器人冲击的影响。结果表明:在相同抓取时间下,加速抓取明显优于匀速抓取,碰撞力振幅减小至匀速抓取时的20%,对空间机器人的激振冲击明显消除,仅在抓取结束前有小幅激振。这对空间机器人的抓取控制有着重要的理论价值及工程实际意义。     

自由翻滚故障卫星外包络抓捕及抓捕路径优化

自由翻滚故障卫星抓捕是航天器在轨服务及空间碎片清理的基础。由于难以确定固定抓捕点及目标运动参数不确定,传统机械臂抓捕方法无法适用类似自由翻滚故障卫星的空间非合作目标。提出一种具有鲁棒性的外包络抓捕方法及抓捕路径优化方案。外包络抓捕方式能够适用于自由翻滚故障卫星抓捕问题,其特点在于,第一,由抓捕末端执行器构成的抓捕包络可以包络空间目标,约束其运动并最终实现抓捕,因此不需要固定抓捕点;第二,末端执行器构成的抓捕包络,能够约束故障卫星运动,而两者之间的摩擦可以有效消除两者之间的相对运动最终成功抓捕翻滚目标。进一步,针对外包络抓捕方法,提出了一种最小燃料消耗及最小抓捕扰动的机械臂抓捕路径。为验证外包络抓捕方法的有效性,构建旋转立方星抓捕地面实验,并利用数值仿真验证外包络抓捕机械臂最优路径规划,仿真结果验证了所提出方法的有效性。     

Grasping Strategy in Space Robot Capturing Floating Target

When the space robot captures a floating target, contact impact occurs inevitably and frequently between the manipulator hand and the target, which seriously impacts the position and attitude of the robot and grasping security. “Dynamic grasping area” is introduced to describe the collision process of manipulator grasping target, and grasping area control equation is established. By analyzing the impact of grasping control parameters, base and target mass on the grasping process and combining the life experience, it is found that if the product of speed control parameter and dB adjustment parameter is close to but smaller than the minimum grasping speed, collision impact in the grasping process could be reduced greatly, and then an ideal grasping strategy is proposed. Simulation results indicate that during the same period, the strategy grasping is superior to the accelerating grasping, in that the amplitude of impact force is reduced to 20%, and the attitude control torque is reduced to 15%, and the impact on the robot is eliminated significantly. The results would have important academic value and engineering significance.     

Super twisting controller for on-orbit servicing to non-cooperative target

A relative position and attitude coupled controller is proposed for rendezvous and docking between two docking ports located in different spacecraft. It is concerned with servicing to a tumbling non-cooperative target spacecraft in arbitrary orbit subjected to external disturbances.By considering both kinematic and dynamical coupled effects of relative rotation on relative translation, a coupled dynamic model is established to represent the relative motion of docking port on target spacecraft with respect to another on the service spacecraft. The spacecraft control is based on the second order sliding mode algorithm of super twisting(ST). It is schemed to manipulate the relative position and attitude synchronously. A formal proof of the finite time convergence property of the closed-loop system is derived theoretically by the second method of Lyapunov. Numerical simulations with the designed ST controller are presented to validate the analytic analysis by contrast with the twisting control algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed relative position and attitude integrated controller is characterized by high precision, strong robustness and high reliability.     

具有时延的漂浮基空间机器人基于泰勒级数预测、逼近的改进非线性反馈控制

 探讨了本体位置与姿态均不受控的漂浮基空间机器人在时间延迟(简称时延)情况下惯性空间轨迹跟踪的控制问题.利用拉格朗日方法并结合系统动量守恒关系,分析、建立了漂浮基空间机器人完全能控形式的系统动力学模型及运动Jacobi关系.以此为基础,针对系统存在时延的情况,利用泰勒级数预测、逼近的方法,建立了适用于时延情况下控制系统设计的数学模型.利用该模型,提出了一种空间机器人在时延情况下的改进非线性反馈控制方案.然后运用Lyapunov第二类方法,结合范数以及图形分析的方法证明了在时延情况下整个闭环控制系统的渐近稳定性.文中提到的控制方案能够有效地克服系统存在时延的影响,控制漂浮基空间机器人末端爪手跟踪惯性空间的期望轨迹.系统数值仿真结果证明了上述控制方案的有效性与精确性.     

对失控航天器在轨服务的自适应滑模控制器设计

为实现对自由翻滚的失控目标航天器进行在轨服务,基于二阶滑模控制算法设计了相对位置与姿态耦合的自适应控制器。考虑相对转动对相对平动的耦合作用,建立了两航天器对接端口间相对位置与姿态耦合的动力学模型,并在此基础上设计了自适应Super twisting控制器,以减弱已知界限的有界干扰所产生的震颤效应,使闭环系统在有限时间内收敛到平衡点。利用李雅普诺夫方法证明了有界干扰下的闭环系统稳定性,并对收敛时间的上界进行了估计。仿真结果表明,与Super twisting算法相比,所设计的自适应二阶滑模控制器对参数不确定性及线性增长有界干扰具有较强的鲁棒性,且控制精度满足在轨服务的任务需求。     

空间大型机械臂系统载运轨迹优化方法

针对在搬运及组装数十吨级负载过程中,空间站用大型机械臂会对空间站载体姿态产生扰动的问题,提出了一种笛卡尔轨迹参数化方法。利用基于广义雅克比矩阵（GJM）的分解运动速度控制和优化算法来实现基座姿态扰动控制,建立了反映载体姿态变化的目标函数。基于关节运动范围及避免动力学奇异等约束,采用粒子群（PSO）算法进行目标函数的优化,有效降低了空间大型机械臂系统在搬运重型负载过程中对载体姿态的影响。仿真结果验证了算法的有效性。     

High precision attitude dynamic tracking control of a moving space target

On-orbit spacecraft face many threats, such as collisions with debris or other spacecraft.Therefore, perception of the surrounding space environment is vitally important for on-orbit spacecraft.Spacecraft require a dynamic attitude tracking ability with high precision for such missions.This paper aims to address the above problem using an improved backstepping controller.The tracking mission is divided into two phases: coarse alignment and fine alignment.In the first phase,a traditional saturation controller is utilized to limit the maximum attitude angular velocity according to the actuator's ability.For the second phase, the proposed backstepping controller with different virtual control inputs is applied to track the moving target.To fulfill the high precision attitude tracking requirements, a hybrid attitude control actuator consisting of a Control Moment Gyro(CMG) and Reaction Wheel(RW) is constructed, which can simultaneously avoid the CMG singularity and RW saturation through the use of an angular momentum optimal management strategy, such as null motion.Finally, five simulation scenarios were carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy and hybrid actuator.     

Analysis of reaction torque-based control of a redundant free-floating space robot

Owing to the dynamics coupling between a free-floating base and a manipulator,the non-stationary base of a space robot will face the issue of base disturbance due to a manipulator's motion.The reaction torque acted on the satellite base's centroid is an important index to measure the satellite base's disturbance.In this paper,a comprehensive analysis of the reaction torque is made,and a novel way to derive the analytical form of the reaction torque is proposed.In addition,the reaction torque null-space is derived,in which the manipulator's joint motion is dynamically decoupled from the motion of the satellite base,and its novel expression demonstrates the equivalence between the reaction torque null-space and the reaction null-space.Furthermore,the reaction torque acted as an optimization index can be utilized to achieve satellite base disturbance minimization in the generalized Jacobian-based end-effector Cartesian path tracking task.Besides,supposing that the redundant degrees of freedom are abundant to achieve reaction torque-based active control,the reaction torque can be used to realize satellite base attitude control,that is,base attitude adjustment or maintenance.Moreover,because reaction torque-based control is a second-order control scheme,joint torque minimization can be regarded as the optimization task in reaction torque-based active or in-active control.A real-time simulation system of a 7-DOF space robot under Linux/RTAI is developed to verify and test the feasibility and reliability of the proposed ideas.Our extensive empirical results demonstrate that the corresponding analysis about the reaction torque is correct and the proposed methods are feasible.     

空间绳系机器人捕获目标后的面内自适应回收方法

在空间绳系机器人(TSR)捕获目标星后,操作机构与目标星形成质量、惯量和系绳连接点位置等参数未知的组合体,且系绳长度、偏角与组合体姿态严重耦合,控制输入严格受限,回收控制十分困难。针对其回收难题,综合考虑系绳长度、系绳偏角与组合体姿态,利用拉格朗日法建立了轨道面内的动力学模型,并基于动态逆理论设计了一种自适应抗饱和回收控制方法。首先,在对组合体质量、惯量与系绳连接点进行在线估计的基础上,设计一种自适应动态逆回收控制器;然后,设计辅助变量对控制输入进行补偿,解决控制输入受限问题;最后进行仿真验证。仿真结果表明,在线估计器能够快速有效地估计组合体动力学参数,回收控制系统能够利用受限的控制输入克服抓捕时刻的系绳偏角和组合体姿态扰动,并沿设计的回收轨迹实现稳定有效回收。     

基于LSTM的空间机器人系统惯性张量在轨辨识

在空间机器人抓捕目标的过程中,整个系统的惯性张量会随时间变化且在目标被捕获瞬间发生突变,这会严重影响整体姿态控制的精度。针对以上问题,提出了一种基于长短期记忆（LSTM）的系统惯性张量在轨实时辨识方法。首先,对于目标捕获前后的2个阶段,利用拉格朗日方程建立了空间机器人的动力学模型;然后,基于所建空间机器人模型采用域随机化方法生成足量训练数据,并用其对由LSTM网络与多层全连接网络构建的参数辨识网络进行训练;最后,使用训练好的参数辨识网络对系统惯性张量进行辨识。数值仿真结果表明：所提方法能够精确辨识空间机器人抓捕过程中的系统惯性张量,所研究系统的主惯量平均相对辨识误差小于0.001,惯性积的平均相对辨识误差小于0.01。