Proposal of Magnetic Movable Robot on Membrane and Path-Planning Method for Moving Motion

Abstract

In this study, we focus on the substantial maintenance work required for deployable membrane structures, which offer the advantage of increasing the size of space structures. Utilizing an orbital robot presents long-term maintenance advantages over other manned approaches due to the potential risks posed by extravehicular activity (EVA) to astronauts. However, conventional robots encounter difficulties when navigating in unconventional environments such as a membrane. A new concept robot has been proposed, capable of pinching a membrane and moving using magnetic units, thus specializing in movement on a membrane. Drawing upon the dynamic features of the proposed robot, a path-planning method for its movement was formulated under the constraints of preventing membrane damage due to motion reactions on a membrane demonstrating the utility of the formulated method.