IDAHO Robotic Lunar Exploration Program Sponsors: NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium NASA Ames Research Center University of Idaho College of Engineering

Background National government has made a goal to return humans to the moon by 2020 and later to Mars and further destinations in the solar system. Precursor robotic missions to prepare for human exploration and habitat. NASA established RLEP, later Lunar Precursor and Robotics Program (LPRP), to prioritize and carry out lunar robotic missions.

Background Moon is a nearby place – Astronauts can learn to live and work in a hostile environment before heading off to more distant destinations.

Motivation Some goals of robotic exploration are to provide: –an early assessment of human exploration targets on the Moon –a risk mitigation strategy for both the technology developments needed for human exploration and the emplacement of supporting infrastructure

Motivation Non-dexterous mobile manipulators capable of excavating and resource extraction partner with dexterous mobile manipulators to: –Mine raw minerals –Clear pathways –Place landing beacons –Dig trenches –Install habitat modules –Cover them with regolith to protect them from radiation

Motivation The same machines will transition over time to assist humans that occupy these habitats and will also serve as caretakers in between human crews.

NASA’s Plan NASA has established the following objectives for the initial robotic elements in the Lunar Precursor and Robotics Program: Characterization of the Lunar radiation environment, biological impacts, and potential mitigation

NASA’s Plan Determination of a high resolution 3-D geodetic grid for the Moon - Global geodetic knowledge of topography - Detailed topographic characterization at landing site scales

NASA’s Plan Polar region resources assessment (and landing site safety) - Largest unknown in present knowledge of lunar resources

NASA’s Plan High spatial resolution global resource assessment - Elemental composition, mineralogy and regolith characteristics

Idaho RLEP Description Team Composition –Up to 5 teams of students from Idaho colleges and universities –From 3 to 8 additional undergraduate members –Graduate team lead –Faculty advisor

Idaho RLEP Description Teams will be assigned one of three challenges related to NASA’s Lunar Precursor and Robotics Program, as prioritized by the NASA Ames Research Center. These devices should be very task versatile and be able to complete a number of task without the use of additional devices.

Idaho RLEP Description The student’s designs will be delivered to NASA Ames Research Center for integration and testing on an existing robotic platform.

RLEP Challenge Examples Non-Prehensile Mobile Manipulation (2 Projects)– design of non-prehensile robot manipulation devices for lunar surface operations, such as digging/trenching, loading, cable running, conveying or dumping Robotic Rock Flipper – design of a lightweight device that can be mounted on a planetary rover robot to grasp/jiggle-free a rock and re-orient for inspection

Idaho RLEP Project Specs Project Descriptions: –Design, fabricate, and test a non-prehensile robotic manipulation device for lunar surface operations –Design should be an electro-mechanical device and be able to accomplish specific deliverables to be determined –Mechanism will be built to test operational concepts involved in the lunar exploration missions

Idaho RLEP Project Specs Design Requirements: –The device should be tested on normal earth soil compositions –The power-to-weight ratio should be maximized –The device should be robust and the operation and control should be repeatable –Sensing, including but not limited to joint encoders and force sensors, must be incorporated into the design –The size, weight, and power consumption of the device should be minimized wherever possible

Mobile Manipulation Definition: moving, reorienting, carrying, arranging, assembling or disassembling objects from a mobile platform. Freedom to locate manipulator relative to task Mobility may be used in manipulation task Focused on task mechanics required to complete a task May involve contact, friction and/or impact

Mobile Manipulation Approaches: Algorithmic, controls, geometric Use of task mechanics and non-prehensile manipulation Integration between manipulation and mobility Problems: Platform does not know exactly where it is in space Mobility and manipulator freedom redundancy Nonholonomic constraints of a mobile base

Mobile Manipulation Basic Activities: Scientific experiments Habitat construction Unloading lander and assembling/deploying equipment Astronaut assistance

Mobile Manipulation Scientific experiments: - Drilling and core sampling - Rock flipping - Conduct “lab” experiments - Collect and process rock/regolith samples

Mobile Manipulation Habitat construction: - Assembling - Determining location - Placing landing beacons - Leveling - Running/Burying cables - Dig/load/transport regolith - Deployment assistance (ISRU)

Non-prehensile Manipulation Definition: non-dexterous manipulation,or without the use of “fingers”, for grasping to control and maneuver object(s). Modes: Pushing Tapping Striking Rolling Toppling Flipping Digging Trenching Drilling Sweeping

Research and Technical Challenges Embodiment: (Power, actuation, packaging, mechanism sensors) Simple, robust, cost effective mechanical systems combining: - Safety - Load carrying capacity and speed - Dexterity - Power Reliable integrated packages for actuation - Power source - Power-to-weight ratio - Volume - Controllability Reliable integrated packages for sensing - Tactile - Proprioceptive - Force - Joint Encoders

Research and Technical Challenges Design of versatile manipulators: - Mass/volume/power is at a premium - Take advantage of non-prehensile manipulation - Using mobility to aid manipulation (adds DOF and strength) - Whole arm manipulation - Reconfigurable manipulator?

Research and Technical Challenges Control/Perception/Representation/Cognition : Establish approaches to representing sensorimotor interaction - Needed at several levels (feature, object, context) - Needed at several spatial and temporal scales Establish control techniques for robots to interact purposefully with the environment at scales representing the human niche: - From m to 10 1 m - From 0.01 N to 10 2 N - From ms to hrs

Research and Technical Challenges Control/Perception/Representation/Cognition : Incomplete world state must be addressed with intelligent, active information gathering technologies that recover critical context on a task-by-task basis Establish approaches for modeling “activity” in sensor data and discrete event feedback Representations employed by robots must be grounded in natural phenomena accessible directly to humans and robots alike

Research and Technical Challenges Quasi-kinematic tasks: Much “laboratory manipulation” could be done using purely kinematic (geometric) motion planning and control - Ex. Collect samples, automobile fabrication - Move devices and equipment around There are many times when some dynamic manipulation may be needed or required - Ex: A sample is stuck in its container and needs to be “shaken” out

Conclusions By Summer 2007, NASA Ames will have several mobile manipulators to test and integrate By 2009, NASA will have launched its first mission in a series of lunar missions By at least 2020, humans will have returned to the moon and will be preparing to go farther

?Questions?