Advanced Sampling Scheme Based on Environmental Stiffness for a Smart Manipulator

Abstract

Extraction of rock samples using robotic arms is an essential technique for planetary exploration. By sampling and analyzing the rocks, we can gain knowledge, not only about the planetaly body itself but also about other bodies and the space environment as a whole. In conventional missions, images of the surface are captured and sent to Earth so that the human operator can deside a sampling strategy. However, in such missions, communication delays with Earth are inevitable, and a large number of scientists and engineers are involved in the decisions, which makes the procedure time-consuming, expensive and limited in efficiency. For these reasons, automated extraction processes are required to increase the scientific return. In this study, a novel intelligent manipulator system which samples the rocks semi-automatically by measuring environmental stiffness is proposed. To make such a system autonomous in an unknown environment, vision-based approaches are usually preferred. However, information obtained from cameras is difficult to process. In this paper, another technique based on measuring applied forces is presented, and we demonstrate its effectiveness for the detection of buried rocks.