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The LASR Laboratory is investigating the use of free-flying spacecraft modules in several on-orbit, servicing and manufacturing (OSAM) activities. Previous work consists of the system development and testing of the aforementioned…
This paper presents a time-constrained model predictive control strategy for the six degree-of-freedom autonomous rendezvous, proximity, operations and docking problem between a controllable "deputy" satellite and an uncontrolled "chief"…
In the near future, autonomous space systems will compose many of the deployed spacecraft. Their tasks will involve autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations with large structures, such as inspections, assembly, and maintenance of…
We present TiPToP, an extensible modular system that combines pretrained vision foundation models with an existing Task and Motion Planner (TAMP) to solve multi-step manipulation tasks directly from input RGB images and natural-language…
Microgravity rendezvous and close proximity operations (RPO) is a growing area of interest for applications spanning in-space assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), orbital debris remediation, and small body exploration. Microgravity…
We introduce a large-scale robotic system designed as a lightweight, modular, and reconfigurable structure for lunar applications. The system consists of truss-like robotic triangles formed by continuous inflated fabric tubes routed through…
A key factor in the economic efficiency of satellites is their availability in orbit. Replacing standardized building blocks, such as empty fuel tanks or outdated electronic modules, could greatly extend the satellites' lifetime. This,…
With the growing deployment of small satellites (such as CubeSats, Nanosats, Picosats, and Femtosats) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for targeted applications like imaging, communication, data storage, and rendezvous-docking mission, there is…
This paper presents the design of a small aerial robot for inhabited microgravity environments, such as orbiting space stations (e.g., ISS). In particular, we target a fleet of robots, called Space CoBots, for collaborative tasks with…
In this paper, we present a user-friendly planetary rover's control system for low latency surface telerobotic. Thanks to the proposed system, an operator can comfortably give commands through the control base station to a rover using…
Imagine a swarm of terrestrial robots that can explore an environment, and, upon completion of this task, reconfigure into a spherical ball and roll out. This dimensional change alters the dynamics of locomotion and can assist them to…
Robotic Manipulation Surfaces (RMS) manipulate objects by deforming the surface on which they rest, offering safe, parallel handling of diverse and fragile items. However, existing designs face a fundamental tradeoff: achieving fine control…
A transmitting intelligent surfaces (TISs) aided satellite indoor navigation system is investigated. By leveraging the unique features of TIS, we address the limitations of conventional global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) in…
Approaching a tumbling target safely is a critical challenge in space debris removal missions utilizing robotic manipulators onboard servicing satellites. In this work, we propose a trajectory planning method based on nonlinear optimization…
Customization of manipulator configurations using modularity and reconfigurability aspects is receiving much attention. Modules presented so far in literature deals with the conventional and standard configurations. This paper presents the…
The Attitude Determination and Control System is one of the critical boards of any satellite, specially the micro-satellites. The ADCS is the bridge linking sensors data to actuators by several computationally complex algorithms such as…
This paper presents ZeloS, a research platform designed and built for practical validation of automated driving methods in an early stage of research. We overview ZeloS' hardware setup and automation architecture and focus on motion…
In this article, a floating robotic emulation platform for a virtual demonstration of satellite motion in space is presented. The robotic platform design is characterized by its friction-less, levitating, yet planar motion over a…
This paper presents the software architecture and deployment strategy behind the MoonBot platform: a modular space robotic system composed of heterogeneous components distributed across multiple computers, networks and ultimately celestial…
This paper presents a time-constrained model predictive control strategy for the 6 degree-of-freedom (6DOF) autonomous rendezvous and docking problem between a controllable "deputy" spacecraft and an uncontrollable "chief" spacecraft. The…