The Technical Committee of Space Robotics has two main areas of interest: Microgravity and Planetary Robotics. Microgravity Robotics includes manipulation and mobility for scenarios such as the International Space Station (ISS) operations and the satellite service. Planetary Robot systems address scenarios such as Mars and lunar exploration using manipulation or mobility on or near the surface. Some scenarios, such as the exploration of asteroids and comets, have environments with low gravity that can blur the distinctions between these categories.
For Micro-gravity Robotics, the spatial environment (radiation, pollution sensitivity, thermal extremes, etc.) poses unique challenges to robot and robot algorithms. Despite this, it is expected that the discipline of robotics will find increasing importance in the coming years, particularly as opportunities for human robot and robot-robot cooperation arise in space exploration. Priority areas for this technical committee include:
• Electromechanical design and control.
• Microgravity locomotion.
• Machine vision for inspection and assembly, including compensation for severe lighting, glare, glint, and deep shadows.
• Command and control interfaces, including teleoperated modes.
• Power supplies and recharge techniques for consumables.
• Radiation hardening and processing effects.
• Thermal considerations in the design of space robots.