A Novel Mechanism for Orbital AI-based Autonomous Refuelling

Abstract

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-2211.vid Benefiting from the latest advances in robotics, on-orbit servicing (OOS) plays an important role in the field of space exploration. This paper presents the Orbital AI-based Autonomous Refuelling (OIBAR) project, an OOS concept aiming to develop an innovative docking and refuelling mechanism for space applications. The proposed hardware features a vision-based sensor (VBS), along with a newly developed AI-powered (artificial intelligence) navigation algorithm, to guide the servicer spacecraft towards mating with a target. In this work, the design of the mechanism is described, with particular focus on the effort taken to reduce complexity while guaranteeing functionality. A prototype is built using industry-grade materials, and in-laboratory docking tests are carried out using a robotic manipulator to validate the design.