Robot-based automated measurement method of spacecraft assembly accuracy

Abstract

Given the high-efficiency measurement requirements of the assembly accuracy of some instruments such as spacecraft star sensors, thrusters, and antennas, a robot-based automatic measurement method of spacecraft assembly accuracy is proposed in this paper. In this method, a laser tracker is used as a global guidance and precision control device. First, the coordinate system of the tracker and the coordinate system of the robot and spacecraft need to be calibrated and unified. Through calibration, the relative orientation relationship between the robot end theodolite’s own coordinate system and the robot tool coordinate system and the laser tracking target is established. Then, the automatic and precise alignment of the equipment under test by the theodolite is realized with the real-time tracking, positioning, and guidance technology of the laser tracker, according to the prior information of the equipment under test in the satellite’s own coordinate system. Finally, the collimation information of the theodolite at each position is unified under the tracker coordinate system to realize the automatic measurement of the attitude information of the spacecraft equipment.