A Natural Indirect Adaptive Controller for a Satellite-Mounted Manipulator

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel indirect adaptive control method for satellite-mounted robotic manipulators, addressing uncertainties in object manipulation and actuator nonlinearities to enhance system robustness and performance.

Contribution

It introduces an adaptive control approach that accounts for actuator nonlinearities and inertial parameter consistency, validated through simulation.

Findings

Controller effectively manages uncertainties and actuator nonlinearities.

System maintains stability and performance under various conditions.

Simulation results demonstrate improved robustness and efficiency.

Abstract

The work considers the design of an indirect adaptive controller for a satellite equipped with a robotic arm manipulating an object. Uncertainty on the manipulated object can considerably impact the overall behavior of the system. In addition, the dynamics of the actuators of the base satellite are non-linear and can be affected by malfunctioning. Neglecting these two phenomena may lead to excessive control effort or degrade performance. An indirect adaptive control approach is pursued, which allows consideration of relevant features of the actuators dynamics, such as loss of effectiveness. Furthermore, an adaptive law that preserves the physical consistency of the inertial parameters of the various rigid bodies comprising the system is employed. The performance and robustness of the controller are first analyzed and then validated in simulation.