Experiments on cooperative motion of a space robot

The dynamics of a space robot is studied experimentally using the Micro-Gravity Emulation System for Space Robots, by suspending the manipulators of a space robot model through wires whose tension is controlled so as to be constant. The movement of the main body is controlled using numerically processed data. The cooperative motion of the suspension system for the manipulator is realized in order to cancel the gravitational force acting on the manipulator, while the cooperative motion of the suspension system for the main body of the space robot is executed in order to emulate the internal force of the manipulator acting on the main body. In cooperative motion, an algorithm is necessary to analyze the mutual motion between the suspension systems of the manipulator and the main body. Analyses of a scheme for the cooperative motion of the suspension systems and experimental results are reported.