Flight-Qualified Modular Robotic Building Blocks

This project will create and test physical hardware components, mainly control electronics (“avionics”), compatible with HEBI Robotics’ ecosystem to enable rapid development of flight-qualified actuation technology. COTS components with flight heritage will be leveraged in the creation of actuator prototypes when possible. Tasks include: -Flight-qualified actuation component design and initial functional prototyping for the small satellite market in Earth Orbit Environments -Feasibility study of path towards production scale of components for mass space industry -Determination of cost and range for first generation flight-qualified HEBI components Deliverables include: -Functional prototype components (control electronics or “avionics”) for actuators compatible with the HEBI ecosystem and pass base level requirements to be flown as a payload and tested on cubesats -Design architecture and layout “recipe” for creating flight-qualified actuators to be used as modular building blocks for space-related applications The ultimate goal is to create the first functional prototypes of integrated robotic actuators that can be flown on cubesat and small satellite systems in LEO The focus is on components capable of operating in Earth orbit environmental conditions relative to the following testing considerations: -Radiation Tolerance of Control Electronics (“Avionics”) -Component and Full System Operation within a Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) -Electromagnetic Interference -Random Shock, Vibration, and Acoustic Load Resistance relative to Launch Conditions The initial target market is on-orbit environments, but Lunar and Mars could be built on this heritage technology. Flight-qualified integrated actuator components built around the HEBI Platform will enable a decentralized approach to creating systems for space exploration that will be cheaper due to reduced mission-specific technology, maturing timelines, and overall production techniques and procedures.
Benefits: HEBI is currently engaged with NASA Ames, via a Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement. The HEBI team is collaborating with the Ames team on the ARMADAS project. HEBI’s role is to provide the tools and expertise needed to harden the NASA Ames robot prototype, and create a robot kit that is practical for academics to experiment with and improve upon the ARMADAS system. Other NASA projects that HEBI Robotics has supported in the past are JPL’s Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) and NASA Ames’ SUPERBall v2. HEBI’s role with these projects was more as a pure components vendor, but the utilization of HEBI’s development platform was immensely important to the low-TRL prototyping stages of the development process. For EELS, the modular robotic hardware enabled easy integration into their design process and HEBI’s roots from the snake robotics was also leveraged. Additionally, HEBI’s software enables the simultaneous control of position, velocity, and torque such that the early EELS prototype robots could “feel” their ways through the environment. For the SUPERball team, they used HEBI modules to build a tensegrity robot optimized for resilience, durability, and mobility during high-impact exploration. One key outcome of the work in this SBIR project is to ultimately create the tools that make it possible for projects such as ARMADAS, EELS, and SUPERBall to enjoy the strong capabilities of the HEBI Platform terrestrially during low-TRL development, and easily transition that work to robot hardware that is mission ready. HEBI is confident that space-graded modular robotic building blocks would fill a very important gap in currently available technology, with prospects for many applications in NASA and DoD applications as well as for a growing number of private enterprises that are eager to address growing demand for flight ready robotics. Other potential ISAM opportunities: -Servicing -Extending the lifespan of satellites -Assembling massive life-seeking telescopes in space -Refueling and repairing spacecraft on journeys to distant locations -Assembly -Robotically assemble small components of a large structure in space to avoid rocket fairing volume limitations. -Manufacturing -Creating components in space ad hoc or when needed. -Production of extremely large, “monolithic” structures. -Application of surface coatings using on-orbit coating applications and nano-manufacturing in space.