Autonomous Path Planning of Dual-arm Space Robot for Capturing Moving Target

For the case of dual-arm space robotic system capturing moving target, an autonomous path planning method is proposed corresponding to the two modes, i.e. the free-floating mode and the base attitude controlled mode. Firstly, the end-effector velocities of each arm are planned according to the hand-eye cameras’ measurement. Then, the damped least squares (DLS) algorithm is used to solve the differential kinematics equations derived in this paper, and the desired angle and rate of each joint are determined. These desired values are utilized as the inputs of joint controllers. The process above will not end until the capturing condition is satisfied. Finally, the multi-body dynamic model of a dual-arm space robotic system is developed and simulation study is carried out. The simulation results verify the proposed methods.