Abstract
One of the most important phases of such satellite servicing operations by a space robot is the "contact" phase. During the contact between the end-effector and grasping point, there is a risk that the target and the robot can be pushed away from each other by the contact force. Modeling of the impulsive contact force is a key issue for the discussion of contact dynamics. In this paper, the contact phenomenon is investigated by a micro-gravity experiment using an air-floating test beds. On the precision surface plate, we set a miniature model of a spacecraft. The profiles of the contact force and the motion at the time of contact in case of various impedance characteristics and materials of the contact surfaces are obtained. Furthermore, the unknown structural impedance characteristics of the contact object is identified by the experimental results.
