Aerospace Robotics III (GeoPlanet: Earth and Planetary Sciences)

This book includes extended versions of original works on aerospace robotics presented at the Conference on Aerospace Robotics (CARO) in Warsaw.   It presents recent advances in aerospace robotics, such as manipulators, which are widely used in space for orbital operations, for example, the Mobile Servicing System on the International Space Station and the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. Such manipulators are operated by astronauts and mounted on large platforms, making the influence of manipulator motion on the state of the platform insignificant. Application of manipulators for capture maneuvers in unmanned On-Orbit Servicing or Active Debris Removal missions requires reliable control algorithms that take into account the free-floating nature of the manipulator-equipped spacecraft. As such the book presents possibilities for using space manipulators for exploration and a variety of space operations. Further, it discusses new methods for the control ofautonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) using vision systems and sensor fusion methodologies. Such autonomous flying vehicles could be used for materials deliveries and emergencies, as well as surveying and servicing.