Controlling robots on-orbit

Space and underwater vehicles with robotic manipulators can severely tax the capability of conventional control architectures. In this report, the control system and operator interface for a submersible vehicle used in microgravity simulation are examined. The architecture of the onboard controller and the control station are described as well as the vehicle/operator communications. The control approach is demonstrated on the Ranger Neutral Buoyancy Vehicle (NBV) currently in operation at the Space Systems Laboratory at the University of Maryland.