space grant “spheres experts network”...

SPHERES

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Space Systems Laboratory

Space Grant “SPHERES Experts Network” Proposal

Presented by Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman, MIT

Director, Massachusetts Space Grant

October 2012

SPHERES

MIT Space Systems Laboratory 2

What is SPHERES?

• A Facility of the ISS National Laboratory with three nano-satellites designed by

MIT to research estimation, control, and autonomy algorithms

• By working aboard

ISS under crew

supervision, it provides

a risk-tolerant

environment

• The satellites can be

reused

– Replenishable

consumables

– Multiple test sessions

assigned per year

• If anything goes wrong,

reset and try again!

If you can’t bring the space environment to the laboratory,

take the laboratory to space!

SPHERES


What is SPHERES for?

• In the future we expect multiple satellites to work together to accomplish tasks that

are not currently possible

• Formation Flight

– Many satellites aligned to

create giant space telescopes

• Docking

– Autonomously create large

spacecraft for interplanetary

travel

– Repair and resupply old

spacecraft

– Reuse parts of old spacecraft

• Close proximity operations

– Inspect broken satellites and

other space objects

Many minds are better than one,

but they are harder to control (literally)!

SPHERES


What is Zero Robotics

• A competition designed to allow Middle- and

High-school students unprecedented

access to the International Space Station

through SPHERES

• Teams of students work to program the

SPHERES satellite to win an MIT-designed

game

• The teams go through multiple elimination

rounds; the top teams see their code tested

aboard the ISS

If SPHERES is so “risk tolerant”, why can’t grade-school

students use it? … they can!

SPHERES


What is Zero Robotics…

from space!

SPHERES


Space Grant

“SPHERES Expert Network”: What

For Science

• Students know how to program

science algorithms on

SPHERES

– Estimation, control, autonomy

– Formation flight, docking

• Help with existing research

– Join forces with MIT, NASA

ARC, and other current

SPHERES researchers

• May propose new research

• Will test their code aboard

ISS

For Zero Robotics

• Outreach region’s high-schools

– Recruit between 15-25 High

Schools from the state/region

– Provide learning opportunities for

the HS students

• Seminars at the university

• Video conferences

– Help establish regional “events”

within state and neighboring

states

– Help MIT team support online

– Pre-test the game of that year

Objective: create a nationwide network of engineering

students who are experts on SPHERES research

SPHERES


Space Grant

“SPHERES Expert Network”: Who/how

• Undergraduate or graduate students in a technical university within the SG state

– Must be in an engineering field related to SPHERES / Zero Robotics (aero/astro, computer

science, robotics, astrophysics, or similar)

– Must remain a student from selection and into the next full Zero Robotics cycle (Sep-Jan)

• May be a senior who continues to graduate school within the state

– Should demonstrate interest both in SPHERES research and general outreach abilities

• Application – Basic personal and school information

– Proposal for SPHERES research

• As part of existing MIT/NASA research or new proposal

• May be research to enhance Zero Robotics (game development, ISS experience improvements, etc)

• Plan for tests aboard the ISS (why micro-gravity with SPHERES?)

– Commitment to outreach for Zero Robotics and help during competition

• Timeline – Mar 2013 Application opens

– Jun/Jul 2013 2 Week “SPHERES Crash Course” at MIT

– Aug 2013 Zero Robotics Game Testing (online)

– Sep 13 – Jan 14 Zero Robotics Fall Tournament

– Feb 14 – Apr 14 Research Programming

– May/Jun 14 ISS Research Tests

SPHERES


Space Grant

“SPHERES Expert Network”: Proposal

• Create a $10,000 grant for the students

– MIT (SPHERES Grant) will provide $5,000

– Participating SG’s should provide the other $5,000

• Hope to have 10 State SG’s participate in 2013-14

– May consider more based on demand

• $10k grant will cover (inclusive)

– Travel costs to MIT crash course

– Materials to support Zero Robotics

– The rest for student educational and research expenses (managed by student)

• MIT will provide in addition

– Housing for 2-week “SPHERES Crash Course” (MIT dorm)

– Zero Robotics website and game access

– Tools required for SPHERES research programming

– Guidance to “SPHERES Experts” throughout the year

– Availability of SPHERES hardware at MIT

– Work with NASA to have astronaut time for SPHERES Experts research on ISS

• Participating State Space Grant’s will provide in addition

– Selection process to find SPHERES Expert grantee

– Help with outreach for Zero Robotics (led by grantee)

– Communications channels between grantee and MIT

SPHERES


Contact Information

• MIT Investigators – Prof. David W. Miller, PI

– Alvar Saenz Otero, Lead Scientist

• MIT Science Team – Jacob Katz (PhD)

– Sreeja Nag (MS)

– Sonny Thai (MS)

– Swati Mohan (PhD, alum)

• MAP – Katie Magrane, Director

• AFS – Javier de Luis

– Jim Francis

– Jaime Ramirez

– John Merk

• Top Coder – Ira Heffan

– Mike Lydon

– Ambi del Villar

• NASA ARC – Bruce Yost, Program Manager

– Andres Martinez, Project Manager

– Steve Ormsby, Operations Lead

• Acknowledgements – NASA HQ & Education Office

– Dr. Lorna Finman

– Astronaut Gregory Chamitoff

[email protected]

http://ssl.mit.edu/spheres

[email protected]

http://zerorobotics.mit.edu

SPHERES


Upcoming SPHERES Programs

• VERTIGO - 2012-Oct

– Vision Based Navigation

• RINGS - 2012-Dec

– Electro Magnetic Formation Flight

• Slosh - 2013-Jul

– Fluid Slosh CFD model validation

• InSPIRE 2 - 2013-Jul, 2014-Jan, 2015-Jan

– Docking Ports

– Multi-port adapter

– Manipulator Arms

SPHERES


VERTIGO Overview

• Visual Estimation and Relative Tracking for Inspection of Generic Objects

• Perform spacecraft vision based navigation in a

microgravity environment

• Enable other researchers to perform follow on

vision based navigation research

• What are the Goggles?

• A hardware upgrade to the SPHERES satellites:

• 2 Stereo Cameras

• 1.2 GHz Linux CPU

• Illuminating LED Lights

• 802.11 WiFi Connection

• Lithium Battery

(ISS Nikon Camera battery)

• Textured stickers to “simplify”

image processing

SPHERES


VERTIGO Hardware

Expansion Possibilities– Removable Optics Mount

• Interface: USB 2.0, 12V Unregulated, RS232 x2,

1Gbps Ethernet

– 802.11n USB WiFi Card• Offboard processing, communications and sensor

resources

SPHERES


RINGS Overview

• Purpose of RINGS:

– Demonstrate EMFF for the first time in full 6 DOF micro-gravity

– Mature EMFF control algorithms in 6 DOF

– Demonstrate a hybrid EMFF/Wireless Power Coupling Design

• Electromagnetic Formation

Flight (EMFF)

– Apply force and torque on

SPHERES

– Use electromagnetic

interactions modeled as

magnetic dipoles

• Wireless Power Transfer (WPT)

– Inductively coupled coils at

resonance to improve power

coupling

Force Torque

SPHERES


RINGS Flight Hardware

Fan

Ring Housing

Support Structure

Electronics Box

LCD Display

SPHERE

CO2 Tank

Battery

SPHERES


Slosh Hardware

SPHERES


InSPIRE 2 Overview

• Full project called “MEDUSA”

– Starting November 2012 (expected)

• Hardware Upgrades

– 2013: UDP & “multiport” development (MEDUSA)

– 2013: Launch UDP

– 2014: Launch HALO

– 2014: NRL develop arms

– 2015: (early) launch arms

SPHERES


Space Grant

“SPHERES Expert Network”: Proposal

• Create a $10,000 grant for the students

– MIT (SPHERES Grant) will provide $5,000

– Participating SG’s should provide the other $5,000

• Hope to have 10 State SG’s participate in 2013-14

– May consider more based on demand

• $10k grant will cover (inclusive)

– Travel costs to MIT crash course

– Materials to support Zero Robotics

– The rest for student educational and research expenses (managed by student)

• MIT will provide in addition

– Housing for 2-week “SPHERES Crash Course” (MIT dorm)

– Zero Robotics website and game access

– Tools required for SPHERES research programming

– Guidance to “SPHERES Experts” throughout the year

– Availability of SPHERES hardware at MIT

– Work with NASA to have astronaut time for SPHERES Experts research on ISS

• Participating State Space Grant’s will provide in addition

– Selection process to find SPHERES Expert grantee

– Help with outreach for Zero Robotics (led by grantee)

– Communications channels between grantee and MIT

SPHERES


Space Grant

“SPHERES Expert Network”: Who/how

• Undergraduate or graduate students in a technical university within the SG state

– Must be in an engineering field related to SPHERES / Zero Robotics (aero/astro, computer

science, robotics, astrophysics, or similar)

– Must remain a student from selection and into the next full Zero Robotics cycle (Sep-Jan)

• May be a senior who continues to graduate school within the state

– Should demonstrate interest both in SPHERES research and general outreach abilities

• Application – Basic personal and school information

– Proposal for SPHERES research

• As part of existing MIT/NASA research or new proposal

• May be research to enhance Zero Robotics (game development, ISS experience improvements, etc)

• Plan for tests aboard the ISS (why micro-gravity with SPHERES?)

– Commitment to outreach for Zero Robotics and help during competition

• Timeline – Mar 2013 Application opens

– Jun/Jul 2013 2 Week “SPHERES Crash Course” at MIT

– Aug 2013 Zero Robotics Game Testing (online)

– Sep 13 – Jan 14 Zero Robotics Fall Tournament

– Feb 14 – Apr 14 Research Programming

– May/Jun 14 ISS Research Tests

SPHERES


BACKUP

SPHERES


2011 ISS Finals

SPHERES


HS Tournament Schedule

2D Simulation Competition

2D Ground Demonstration

3D Simulation Elimination

3D Alliance Semi-Finals

ISS Finals!

September

October

November

December

Registration

Alliance creation

Virtual

Finals

Note: Due to ISS availability, the 2011 ISS Finals may take place in January

April - Sep

SPHERES


TPF Orbital Express

Phase 1 Science Objectives

• Develop a platform to demonstrate and validate metrology, control, autonomy,

and artificial intelligence algorithms for distributed satellite systems (DSS)

• Demonstrate different configurations of DSS

– Rendezvous and docking algorithms • Servicing missions

• Space assembly

– Autonomous formation flight • Optical telescopes (Stellar Imager), space based radar

• Approved by SERB May 2008: Fractionated Spacecraft (DARPA)

• Provide a representative environment for the demonstrations

– 6 DOF

– Long duration m-g

ESA DARPA JPL

Darwin

– Full satellite simulation

– Allow science “payloads”

SPHERES


Research Progress:

Docking & Rendezvous

• Phase 1 Final Objective

– Mature autonomous docking algorithms

to a semi-cooperative docking target

tumbling with nutating motion to TRL 6 to

aid with servicing and assembly

missions

– Autonomous • No human intervention with high success rates

– Semi-cooperative • Target can communicate but has no actuation

capabilities (simulated)

– Nutating • Two rotational vectors at different periods

– TRL 6 • System demonstration in a representative

environment

– Servicing • Dock precisely to enable the transfer of

consumables and/or rendezvous closely to enable

satellite inspeciation

– Assembly • Demonstrate autonomous systematic assembly of

a complex spacecraft using multiple components

with some s/c acting as “tugs”

• Progress

– Global estimation complete

– Docking to a tumbling cooperative target

– Initial Path Planning completed • Docked to a fixed target

• Remaining

– Direct relative estimation

– Robust controllers (LQR, Hinf, etc)

– Further plume impingement work

– Path planning & collision avoidance • To rotating and semi-cooperative targets

• Nutating target

– Obstacle avoidance • On-line autonomous avoidance

• Reaction maneuver planning

– Inspection • Full plane capture sequencing

– Assembly • Assembly sequence with cooperative targets

• Assembly with unknown initial conditions

– Integrated tests to reach TRL6

wikipedia.com

SPHERES


Research Progress:

Formation & Fractionated Flight

• Phase 1 Final Objective

– Demonstrate feasibility of coarse

formation flight control for separated

space telescopes and radar

– Create an architecture of distributed

modules that enable all major spacecraft

hardware to function as network-

addressable and shareable devices.

– Coarse control • Thruster based relative position and attitude

control of the spacecraft to within ±5 millimeters

• Later to be coupled with precision optical control

for space telescopes

– Separated space telescopes & radar • Telescopes: TPF/DARWIN and SI designs

• Usually rotating formations

• Either maximize coverage or resolution

• Allow re-shape of formation to switch between

coverage/resolution modes

– Distributed Modules • Demonstrate the ability of multiple modules to

create a virtual single spacecraft by autonomously

aligning themselves, showing the ability to change

their geometry, and avoid collision between each

other, while maintaining communications and

sharing their devices.

• Progress

– 3-Satellite formation flight

demonstrations • Rotations and plane changes

• Off-line path planning maneuvers

• Initial communications design

– 2-Sat fractionation demos

• Remaining

– Advanced controls • Non-linear and fuel-optimized

• Fuel balancing

– Space telescope & Radar • Off-axis combiner demonstration

• Capture maneuvers

• Control optimized for optical capture

– Fractionation • 3-Satellite tests (all parts)

• Optimal initialization

• Reconfiguration (geometry, metrology,

architecture)

• Obstacle Avoidance

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