Trajectory Optimization and Following for a Three Degrees of Freedom Overactuated Floating Platform

TL;DR

This paper presents a control architecture for a floating platform used in space robotics testing, capable of planning and following trajectories with disturbance rejection, demonstrated through simulation and physical experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel control system combining trajectory planning and following for a three-DOF overactuated floating platform with successful simulation and physical validation.

Findings

100% success in simulation trajectory planning and following

Successful physical trajectory following within tens of centimeters

Controller effectively rejects disturbances during operation

Abstract

Space robotics applications, such as Active Space Debris Removal (ASDR), require representative testing before launch. A commonly used approach to emulate the microgravity environment in space is air-bearing based platforms on flat-floors, such as the European Space Agency's Orbital Robotics and GNC Lab (ORGL). This work proposes a control architecture for a floating platform at the ORGL, equipped with eight solenoid-valve-based thrusters and one reaction wheel. The control architecture consists of two main components: a trajectory planner that finds optimal trajectories connecting two states and a trajectory follower that follows any physically feasible trajectory. The controller is first evaluated within an introduced simulation, achieving a 100 % success rate at finding and following trajectories to the origin within a Monte-Carlo test. Individual trajectories are also successfully followed by the physical system. In this work, we showcase the ability of the controller to reject disturbances and follow a straight-line trajectory within tens of centimeters.