Skyworker - Mobile Manipulator Critical Design Review

William Red Whittaker Peter Staritz Chris Urmson

Field Robotics Center November 18, 1999

SPACE ROBOTICS INITIATIVE Skyworker CDR 11/18/99-1

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Space Solar Power (SSP) Facilities

Constellation of SSP satellites in GEO

1GW of energy to the ground

Microwave transmission antenna 1 km in diameter Mass of 4800 MT (10X as massive as ISS) Assembled over 1 year, maintained for 30 years

4000 m

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Assembly, Inspection, Maintenance

Extremely large scale structures Poor accessibility

Long life cycle

Dangerous environment

Necessitates a robotic workforce

Assembly, Inspection, Maintenance (AIM)
Radiator

Radi ator
Parabolic Reflector

Parabolic Reflector

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Objectives
Demonstrate the viability of using robots for orbital construction Prove the validity of using structure walkers for orbital AIM Demonstrate SSP AIM relevant tasks using robotics Simulate prospective SSP AIM robots and tasks

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Representative Tasks
Walk, turn, and transition across planes on a truss structure Pick up and place a payload at arbitrary locations and orientations in space Carry a payload while walking, turning, and transitioning Conduct calibration and inspection tasks Connect power and communications cables Cooperatively carry massive or large payloads Perform tasks that require multiple robot collaboration

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Demonstration
Prototype Robot
Pick up and carry a model transmitting element the length of the truss, turn while carrying, couple the element to the structure Connect Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) to the element Perform a mock calibration

Simulation
Large scale construction utilizing multiple robots Coordinated installation of full scale transmitting elements Demonstrate extended lifetime operations

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Configuration - Key Metrics

Continuous Gait Forces exerted / Forces experienced Workspace Control Complexity DOF Mass Cost Energy Consumption

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Skyworker
Continuous Gait
Reduced forces on structure Low energy consumption Constant contact with structure Requires 4 joint synchrony

11 Degrees of freedom Extensive Workspace

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Skyworker - Specifications
Tetherless Mobile Manipulator Processor: Pentium166

Walking Speed: 10cm/s

Mass: <37kg Dimensions:

3m x 0.5m x 0.1m
Degrees of Freedom: 11 Material: Aluminum

Power: 200W peak

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Force Analysis
Mass Estimates Forces Due to imperfect GC system Maximum torque 16 N-m Maximum force 12 N
Original Mass Estimates
Mass Quantity Group Mass Joints 2 kg 11 22 kg Links 4.5 kg 3 13.5 kg Grippers 3.0 kg 3 9 kg Total 44.5 kg
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SPACE ROBOTICS INITIATIVE Skyworker CDR 11/18/99-10

Joint Development
Determined maximum torque, speed, and travel needed for gait Modularity considerations Motor / Reduction Combination
16 Nm torque + 44 degrees/second +
Joint Required Max Torque Required Max Speed 1 16 Nm 32.1 deg/s 2 Variable Variable 3 Variable Variable 4 Variable Variable 5 10 Nm 43.2 deg/s 6 Variable Variable 7 1 Nm 32.7 deg/s 8 9 Nm 35.1 deg/s 9 Variable Variable 10 Variable Variable 11 Variable 35.1 deg/s Max Theta +/- 180 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 180 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 180 deg +/- 180 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 90 deg +/- 180 deg

Skyworker actuators
57.5 degrees/second at 32 Nm torque
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62.5 degrees/second at 16 Nm torque

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Reduction
Two Stage Transmission Stage 1 - Planetary Gearhead
Integral Unit 4.8 to 1 reduction 1.3 deg no-load backlash 80% efficiency

Stage 2 - Harmonic Drive

High reduction ratio with zero backlash Low mass - high torque ratio Efficiencies ranging from 70% to 80%

CSF 2A-GR-14 Harmonic Drive

Ratio Rated torque at 2000 rpm Rated average torque Limited repeated peak Limit momentary peak Maximum Input Speed Average Input Speed Mass 100 to 1 7.8 Nm 11 Nm 28 Nm 54 Nm 5000 rpm 3500 rpm .09 kg
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SPACE ROBOTICS INITIATIVE Skyworker CDR 11/18/99-12

Motor Selection
Motors Selection Criteria
Power Minimization Mass Available with integral encoder and planetary gearhead Space relevance

Maxon Motors
DC Graphite Brushed Rated for 42 volts, operating at 30 volts .340 kg 4800 rpm & 24 Nm output torque requires 48 watts
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Joint Overview

2 Offset (Cantilever) revolute

3 Inline revolute (Size B)

3 Inline revolute (Size A)

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3 Axial revolute
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Axial Revolute Joint

Most Complicated

Interface between F/T sensor and Gripper Mass 1.48 kg

Shear key

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Anatomy of a Joint
Harmonic Housing Harmonic Drive Force Torque Closing Plate Potentiometer Belt Bearing Baseplate Force Torque Interface Motor/Planetary/ Encoder Package Potentiometer Output Shaft Bearing Secure Bearings Force Torque Interface Cap

Feedback Drum Gripper Interface

Potentiometer Pulley

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Structure Overview
High bending and torsional stiffness

Weight minimization
Truss reduction

Access via removable bottom plates

Also serve as internal attachment points

Each link is unique

Little opportunity for modularity

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Gripper

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Grippers Force Analysis

Force (N)

Clamping force needed to counteract effects of stride Maximum force required: 500N

Singularity in stride

Time (s)

Force (N)

Time (s)

z
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x
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Skyworker CDR 11/18/99-19

Concept
Dynamic gait requires a robust and fast gripping mechanism
Robustness
Simple Design - Single jaw actuated Low Power - Limited motor torque required Error Correction - Designed with mechanical allowance for imperfect approach

Speed
Fast Approach - Direct approach allowed by configuration Fast Mechanism - High speed advantage provided by linkage Fast Motor - High RPM attained with low torque requirement

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Mechanism

Gripping Mechanism: Vise Grip Four bar linkage

Speed Advantage: Moving jaw adequately slowed at final closing Force Advantage: Motor force multiplied at locking Power Advantage: Zero power required when locked

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Coating
Potential for wear of aluminum gripping face mandated protective coating Stainless Steel Coating
Reduced wear Increased coefficient of friction

Thermally sprayed coating courtesy of the State University of New York at Stony Brooks Center for Thermal Spray Research
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Gravity Compensation
Skyworker requires gravity compensation to operate properly Marionette style cable support counteracts the force of gravity Combination Active/Passive system
Vertical axis is passive Horizontal axis are active

Modify a heritage gravity compensation system

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Robot Interface Modifications

Four attachment points Sliding interface to allow transition between walking and manipulating postures Arc center located at CG

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Feedback Controller
Optical Angle Sensor

Picture of shuttle with angle sensor board (to be taken w/ digital camera)

Output voltages linear function of angles.

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Feedback Controller
Control Issues
Gantry pendulum is a fourth order system
Model as a second order system
Second order model sufficiently accurate over a small range of inputs. Skyworker will only move over a small range of velocities. Tune PID controller for good responses over these inputs. Hack: Zero integral term with change of direction (faster response)

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Skyworker: Power Electronics

Power Budget:
Motors: 140W peak power required Motor controllers, communications, sensors, digital electronics, CPU, and miscellaneous: +5, +10, -10 volt supplies, 60W maximum Worst case: 200W Mass Constraint: 4kg (batteries+converters)

Skyworker must be capable of performing operations for a minimum of 20 minutes prior to recharging

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Battery Technologies
Batteries we considered:
NiCd Fair Fair High Easy High Low Low Moderate NiMH Good Good Moderate Easy Moderate Low Moderate Moderate New NiMH Good Good High Easy High Low Low Moderate Li-Ion Excellent Excellent Low Difficult Low High High High

Energy/kg Energy/cm3 Charge Rate Ease of Charging Max. Discharge Rate (Power) Cost/W Mass/W Volume/W

New high-rate discharge NiMH batteries will be used, because they provide a high power/weight ratio along with other desirable properties

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Panasonic High Rate Discharge NiMH

Cell size Mass per cell Cell voltage Current

Charge rate Max discharge rate Other nice features Comparison to NiCd

Sub C 55g 1.25V down to 1V during discharge 3000mA-hours 8 to 9 amps continuously for 20 minute demo 3.4 usable watt-hours per cell 1 hour quick charge with delta-V charger (Standard NiCd battery charger) 10 Amps (10 Watts/cell minimum) No memory effect 500 charge/discharge cycles Equal or better in every way to NiCd, with twice the energy density of NiCd and (amazingly) no more expensive

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Power System
Two separate battery packs
Motor pack
30 cells 102 watt-hours

Electronics pack
20 cells 68 watt-hours Further optimization possible (to equalize run time) Powers three switching power supplies that produce +5V, +10V and 10V

Safety System
E-stop switches located on robot and at control station Power switching circuitry prevents simultaneous connection of multiple power sources
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Testing Batteries

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Battery and Tethered Operation

Charging
Using external delta-V chargers to charge batteries without removing them from Skyworker

Battery Monitoring System

Battery voltage monitoring circuitry will let Skyworker know that its batteries are nearly drained

When Skyworkers batteries are recharging, it can run off of a tether that supplies 36V and 24V to Skyworkers motors and voltage regulators.

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Electrical Wiring Diagram

MC

MC MC FT

DC/DC 10V

DC/DC -10V

DC/DC 5V

SC SC

SC SC

MC MC

MC

MC MC FT

30V BATT
MC

24V BATT
MC FT

A/D

MC MC

MC MC

A/D

Legend: +24V Power -10V Power +10V Power +36V Power RS232 Bus Sensor Bus Data Bus A/D Data Bus 1 Data Bus 2 Data Bus 3

A/D

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Joint Labeling Scheme

11 8

10
9

5 3 6 7 4 1 2

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