2015 NASA Technology Roadmaps TA 4: Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Assignment 5.4 - Research Blog 4: Unmanned Systems Space-Based Applications

Miguel H. Quine

UNSY 501 Applications of Unmanned Systems

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

2015 NASA Technology Roadmaps TA 4: Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Published by NASA in July 2015

Robotics and autonomous systems play a critical role in the space exploration, aeronautics, unmanned systems, and science research. NASA has defined that roll in the space exploration for human and science exploration.  For human exploration, the goal is to use robots as precursor explorers before crewed missions and helpers for crewed missions in space. For science exploration the role is focused to research of planetary surfaces. The main goal of robotics and autonomous systems is focused to extend the human reach into space, expand the capacity of the human beings to planetary access, and the human ability to manipulate resources that aid in planetary exploration, supporting and helping space operations, and improve the efficiency of the human operations. Then, it will be necessary to drive new and advanced technologies in robotics, onboard and ground-based autonomous capabilities, human-systems integration, robot software, and robot modeling and simulation. The autonomy and automation needed in these areas will be reached with the development of new algorithms and software for integration with the hardware of the new advanced technologies such as, multi-modal interaction, supervisory control, physical proximity with autonomous for gesture detection and speech recognition, data analysis for decision making, robot modeling and simulation, and advances in robot software for intelligent robots. (Quine, 2016)

Programs and research in robotics and autonomous systems are conducted by NASA with the purpose to develop technological advances in the space systems that will support future space mission of scientific and human exploration. (Quine, 2016)

The report “2015 NASA Technology Roadmaps TA 4: Robotics and Autonomous Systems” (NASA, 2015) shows the programs and research in progress and technologies areas that were defined by NASA in this field. The report involves “a wide range of needed technologies and development pathways for the next 20 years (2015-2035). The roadmaps focus on ‘applied research’ and ‘development’ activities” (NASA, 2015).

Technologies Areas: Mobility, Manipulation, Human-System Interaction, System-Level Autonomy, Systems Engineering.

Capacity of mobility in terrains of extreme topographies such as “steep and deep craters, gullies, canyons, lava tubes, and soft, friable terrains” (NASA, 2015) will be enhanced. The surface mobility of the rovers in the planetary exploration will be increased in speed; also, the capabilities of the sensing onboard and software of control to manage extreme conditions of the terrains will be increased.  

The robotic navigation will provide “a highly reliable, well-characterized, and fast autonomous or semi-autonomous mobility capability to navigate to designated targets on planetary surfaces” (NASA, 2015). Also, collaborative mobility will be provided to enable the distribution and collaboration of tasks by using multiple robotics mobile systems or any combination of robotics systems and manned systems. The new technology must provide critical mobility components such as “compliant long-life wheels, fast and high-torque actuators, energy-efficient and miniaturized actuators, strong abrasion-resistant tethers, and all terrain anchors to meet future mobility needs” (NASA, 2015).

 Robotics systems require the increasing of the dexterity and power efficiency of the manipulators and overall reduction in mass and volume of launch. Collaborative operations and tasks of multiple manipulators will be enabled by integration of 3D sensors with advanced control of the manipulation of multiple arms mobile systems and by enhancing of the overall synchronism of the hand and eye.

Enhances in human-machine interaction will be developed for a fast human understanding of the state of the system under operation and control and adequate decision making. The human operators will have access to virtual environment of multiples modes of sensing or multimodal interactions. Remote interaction for manual and supervisory control will be allowed in case of failing or short delays of the communication systems. Proximity interaction capacity will be developed with the purpose to provide recognizing of the speech, gesture detection.(Quine, 2016)

The System-Level Autonomy of the space mission must be increased to allow operations without human interaction and the improvement of the “overall performance of human exploration, robotic missions, and aeronautics applications through increased autonomy” (NASA, 2015). Every new and advanced technology will involve any system level autonomy. In addition, systems with full autonomy would be ready to work as independent and intelligent systems in environments with dynamic and uncertain behavior. (Quine, 2016)

Robotics systems will have the onboard capacity of analyze their behavior by monitoring, predicting, detecting, and diagnosing of faults, perform analysis of data to define the causes, effects, and take decisions about onboard actions of solutions or requiring the ground support through of the telemetry system. (Quine, 2016)     

Generation of intelligent behavior in the robotics systems will be implemented by providing an infrastructure of hardware and software algorithms for distribution of autonomous functionalities and operations or by generating models of simulations for coordination of the functionalities in distributed manner. (Quine, 2016)

Automated analysis of large volumes of data onboard for decision making that can exceed the ability of the humans to address conflicting data information will be implemented. The requirements point to the optimization of the computing time for decision making and the time to make decision onboard; also, the improvement of the quality of services.(Quine, 2016)

Characteristics of modularity and self-reconfiguration will be implemented in robotics systems, to allow high level of versatility and hardiness to the replacement of components that have failed in the field and the possibility of self-adaptation and self-reparation.

Advances in robot software technology will provide “architectures, frameworks, design patterns, and advances in software to enable the realization of intelligent robots and autonomous systems from component technologies, and providing standardized interfaces and messages” (NASA, 2015).

 References

TA 4 Robotics and Autonomous Systems - NASA. (2015, July). Retrieved November, 2016, from http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2015_nasa_technology_roadmaps_ta_4_robotics_autonomous_systems.pdf    

Advances in Robotics and Autonomous Technologies for Space Systems. (July 25, 2016). Miguel H. Quine – MS Unmanned Systems – Space Systems Concentration – Student –Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.