Linear Electromagnetic Actuator with Mechanical Impedance Control for Experimental Investigation of Landing and Transient Contact in Low Gravity

Abstract

Compliant robotics is growing in importance in space applications, especially in the areas requiring robust performance in presence of contact of the robot with an unknown environment. The lander undercarriages, docking mechanisms and assistive robotics (exoskeletons) are some examples of space robotic systems requiring controlled compliant behavior of linear actuators. As a step towards development of a test model of a collision damping device for space application e.g. a lander undercarriage, a berthing mechanism or a satellite intercepting manipulator, an electromagnetic linear actuator with impedance controller is proposed. The field oriented motor controller with an integrated impedance control stage is proposed. An experimental model of such actuator system is presented together with preliminary test results and summary of planned future development work as part of an experimentation test setup for investigation of low gravity robotic contact phenomena. The main contribution of the paper is the development of compliant linear actuator for space application where contact be-tween a robot and an environment play a major disturbance of the system.