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Space Robotics

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Robotics

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Definition

Space robotics is a research field concerning the robotics technology for outer space applications. There are two main areas of interest: Microgravity Robotics and Planetary Robotics. Microgravity Robotics includes manipulation and/or mobility for scenarios for orbital operations. Planetary Robotics addresses scenarios lunar/planetary exploration using manipulation and/or mobility on or near or under the surface.

Introduction

In the space engineering community, any unmanned spacecraft can be called a robotic spacecraft. However, Space Robots are considered to be more capable devices that can facilitate manipulation, assembling, or servicing functions in orbit as assistants to astronauts or to extend the areas and abilities of exploration on remote planets as precursor or surrogate for human explorers.

Key issues in space robotics research are characterized as follows:

  • Manipulation-- Although manipulation is a basic technology in robotics, micro-gravity in the orbital...

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Suggested Further Reading

  • Flores-Abad A, Ma O, Pham K, Ulrich S (2014) A review of space robotics technologies for on-orbit servicing. Prog Aerosp Sci 68:1--26

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  • Gonzalez R, Iagnemma K (2017) Slippage estimation and compensation for planetary exploration rovers. State of the art and future challenges. J Field Robot 35(4):564--577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida K (2009) Achievements in space robotics. IEEE Robot Autom Mag 16(4):20--28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida K, Nenchev D, Ishigami G, Tsumaki Y (2014) Chapter 19: Space robotics. In: Macdonald M, Badescu V (eds) International handbook of space technology. Springer, Berlin

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  • Yoshida K, Wilcox B, Hirzinger G, Lampariello R (2016) Chapter 55: Space robots and systems. In: Siciliano B, Khatib O (eds) Springer handbook of robotics, 2nd edn. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Robotics Lab, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

    Kazuya Yoshida

Authors
  1. Kazuya Yoshida
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazuya Yoshida .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Blk 1E Gillman Hts #17-43, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Marcelo H Ang

  2. Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Oussama Khatib

  3. Dipto di Informatica e Sistemistca, Univ di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy

    Bruno Siciliano

Section Editor information

  1. Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Salah Sukkarieh

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Yoshida, K. (2020). Space Robotics. In: Ang, M., Khatib, O., Siciliano, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Robotics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41610-1_37-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41610-1_37-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-41610-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-41610-1

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