Available via license: CC BY
Content may be subject to copyright.
Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com
Introduction
Intelligent manufacturing and robotics are hot topics all over
the world.
1
This paper discussed our researches on underactuated
robotics and the applications on the aerospace on-orbit assembly and
agricultural engineering.
Aerospace on-orbit assembly underactuated robotics
Large-scale structure, modularization, unstructured and intelligent
environment are important trends in the development of spacecraft
in the future. Space-heavy or large-scale structures could only be
implemented in space by on-orbit robotics. In-orbit assembly robot
refers to the use of intelligent robotics technology in space to connect
different spacecraft, space systems, or spatial structural components
into a space system, or to separate one or more spacecraft, space
systems, or spatial structures.
2
–
3
The tasks for on-orbit assembly
robots include on-orbit connection, replacement, construction,
assembly, or reorganization of spacecraft, space systems, or space-
based robots, such as spacecraft module replacement, installation
and deployment of battery arrays, antennas, large independent bays
for in-orbit docking, construction of large space stations. With the
continuous development, the spacecraft’s mission of exploration
is becoming more and more complex, especially spacecraft that
perform deep space exploration missions. Due to the limitation of the
current launch capability, the spacecraft, on the premise of satisfying
the requirements of the exploration mission, is urgently required to
carry out lightweight design on its own to meet the requirements of
the launch vehicle.
Weight is one of the important indicators of spacecraft. New
principles, lightweight materials, and structural optimization are
three typical lightweight methods. The underactuated robotics is a
new principle-driven method, which could be lightweight in nature
due to the reduction of driving sources. The aerospace on-orbit
assembly underactuated robotics system is a typical robot system.
4
Robots could be categorized into three types with respect to their
degree of freedom (DOF) relatively to the number of actuators, fully
actuated robot, redundantly actuated robot, and underactuated robot.
Underactuated robot is a mechanical system with fewer control inputs
than its DOFs, which has many advantages such as light weight,
low cost and low energy consumption. Underactuated robots have
achieved success in the eld of underactuated mechanisms, kinetic
analysis and control, respectively, but in our project, we paid more
attention to the following issues.
a. Innovation of underactuated robots for aerospace on-orbit
assembly, with underactuated robot hand, underactuated robot
arm and wrist.
b. The research on space underactuated robotics is more important
than the traditional plane underactuated one. In our point, this is
an important direction for future research.
c. Beside the certain special underactuated mechanisms, we have
carried out dynamics analysis and control design, and universal
dynamics analysis and control methods of underactuated robotics
for aerospace on-orbit assembly.
In our lab, we have achieved the following process.
5
–
7
Firstly,
the functional requirements of the deplorable structure are analyzed,
and the mode of unfolding is selected. According to the existing on-
orbit assembly technology, the unfolding process of the deplorable
structure is decomposed, and then, design the scheme of the movement
decomposition. Based on the morphological matrix method, design
the scheme of the completed deplorable structure, and selected the
best scheme with the method of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation.
Moreover, design the docking mechanism with the analysis of its
functional requirements in the projects, and invite some experts to
evaluate the docking mechanisms. Based on the chosen scheme,
further design them. Then, the main scheme and vice scheme were
gotten, and design their dimensions, build 3D models, analysis
and design the assembly process of the main scheme, according
to the three-dimensional model of the main scheme, establishing
the linear static analysis, modal analysis and response spectrum
under prestressing force analysis. Based on the above analysis, the
qualitative analysis is carried onto the whole docking mechanisms,
and some of the mechanisms are selected to develop the prototype.
Finally, the on-orbit assembly underactuated robotics system is
proposed. On the one hand, the forward and inverse solutions of
the underactuated robotics are analyzed with ADAMS simulation,
then, a new type underactuated robotics system is designed. On the
other hand, the degree of freedom of the underactuated robotics is
analyzed, and a new mechanism is designed, and then, a new type of
underactuated robotics system is designed.
Aeron Aero Open Access J. 2018;2(2):85‒86. 85
© 2018 He. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.
Underactuated robotics in aerospace and
agricultural engineering
Volume 2 Issue 2 - 2018
Bin He
School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai
University, China
Correspondence: Bin He, Shanghai Key Laboratory of
Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics, School of Mechatronic
Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, 149 Yanchang
Road, Shanghai, China, Email mehebin@gmail.com
Received: March 12, 2018 | Published: April 13, 2018
Abstract
Intelligent manufacturing and robotics are hot topics all over the world. This paper
introduced our researches on underactuated robotics, intelligent management, and the
applications in the aerospace on-orbit assembly and agricultural engineering.
Keywords: intelligent manufacturing, robotics, aerospace, on-orbit assembly,
agricultural engineering
Aeronautics and Aerospace Open Access Journal
Short communication Open Access
Underactuated robotics in aerospace and agricultural engineering 86
Copyright:
©2018 He.
Citation: He B. Underactuated robotics in aerospace and agricultural engineering. Aeron Aero Open Access J. 2018;2(2):85‒86.
DOI: 10.15406/aaoaj.2018.02.00035
Intelligent management for agricultural engineering
In the development of the underactuated robotics for agricultural
engineering, it is important to develop the intelligent management
database software system for gardening greenhouse, including Part A
and Part B, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
Using the principles
of knowledge engineering and information technology, combining the
greenhouse horticultural crop model with the database system platform,
an intelligent management standard database software system was
established, including a knowledge base, a model base, a database,
an inference engine, and a human-machine interface. The system
comprehensively uses such mechanisms as reasoning, prediction,
and explanation to help users design cultivation management plans,
answer questions about cultivation techniques, and dynamically
simulate and predict the growth process of greenhouse horticultural
crops. The intelligent database management software system for
greenhouse horticulture crops combines the forecasting function of
the model with the logical reasoning of the expert system to improve
the cultivation and management of greenhouse horticultural crops.
Figure 1 Intelligent management database software system for gardening
greenhouse (Par t A).
Figure 2 Intelligent management database software system for gardening
greenhouse (Part B).
Conclusion
As the intelligent manufacturing and robotics arise the widespread
concerns, this paper analyzes the current situation of these topics.
And this paper also proposed underactuated robotics and its typical
engineering applications, i.e. aerospace on-orbit assembly, and
agricultural engineering.
Acknowledgement
The work was supported by Shanghai Science and Technology
Commission Project (Grant No. 16391902502).
Conict of interest
None.
References
1.
Ministry of Science and Technology of China. “Twelve Five” special
plan on intelligent manufacturing technology development. Beijing;
2012.
2.
Flores-Abad A, Ma O, Pham K, et al. A review of space robotics
technologies for on-orbit servicing. Progress in Aerospace Sciences.
2014;68:1–26.
3.
Vaughan WW. Systems Engineering: A Key for Success in Aerospace
Operations. Aeron Aero Open Access J. 2018;2(1):00025.
4.
He B, Zhang P, Liu W, et al. Dynamics analysis and numerical simulation
of a novel underactuated robot wrist. Proceedings of the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture.
2017;231(12):2145–2158.
5.
He B, Xiao J, Deng Z. Product design evaluation for product environmental
footprint. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018;172:3066–3080.
6.
Zhou GF. Research on the key components of large spacecraft parabolic
antenna in on-orbit assembly. Shanghai University: China; 2017.
7.
He B, Pan QJ, Deng ZQ. Product carbon footprint for product life cycle
under uncertainty. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018;187:459–472.
