Capability evaluation of reconfigurable brachiating space robot

Abstract

We developed the system of a reconfigurable brachiating space robot (RBR). This space robot is designed based upon the modular design, cable reduction and distributed control technique. This robot is capable of moving over the Japanese experimental module of the International Space Station in a brachiating manner and also capable of arm reconfiguration according to the various task requirements. This paper presents the capabilities of the RBR, mainly, the controllability for the distributed control, the capability of grasping handrails and the reconfiguration mechanism. We conduct experiments for evaluation of these capabilities of the RBR, and explain the result of these experiments.