A low-inertia robotic capture arm has been developed to expand the possibilities for In-Orbit Assembly, Repair, and Servicing (OARS) within CubeSat integration. The design utilizes remote actuation to allow heavy actuators to be placed in the base of the CubeSat while connecting lightweight, slender links to form the arm.
Because the 6.5 mm link profile is limited, it prevents the integration of high-resolution joint encoders. To address this, the work utilizes an alternative state estimation technique that estimates the kinematic state of the manipulator directly from visual measurements.
The research was presented by Willem Jordaan and Dane Groves of Stellenbosch University at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
