Dynamics, Control and Simulation of a Mobile Robotic System for 6-DOF Motion Emulation

Abstract

Abstract—We are developing an autonomous mo-bile robotic system to emulate six degree of freedom relative spacecraft motion during proximity opera-tions. A mobile omni-directional base robot provides x, y, and yaw planar motion with moderate accuracy through six independently driven motors. With a six degree of freedom micro-positioning Stewart Platform on top of the moving base, six degree of freedom spacecraft motion can be emulated with high accu-racy. This paper presents our approach to dynamic modeling, control, and simulation for the overall sys-tem. Comparing with other simulations that intro-duced significant simplifications, we believe that our rigorous modeling approach is crucial for the high fi-delity hardware in-the-loop emulation.