(DM)^2: a modular solution for robotic lunar missions

Abstract

This paper describes the Dual-Use Mobile Detachable Manipulator, (DM)2, which is a mobile manipulator designed to operate in a lunar station scenario. (DM)2 is designed to perform two very different kinds of tasks: exploration on the lunar terrain, and maintenance work in lunar manufacturing plants. Both tasks are essential during the early construction of a lunar station. In order to be able to competently perform both tasks, (DM)2 embodies a modular hardware design - namely a mobile base, and a detachable, symmetric manipulator arm with exchangeable grippers at each end. (DM)2 can work with a number of possibly different arms, each of which may use several kinds of specialized detachable end-effectors. This flexible hardware configuration enables the robot to be useful for many Merent kinds of operations on a lunar base. In turn, this flexibility of hardware configuration necessitates a software control architecture that is equally flexible-dowing for on-the-fly reconfiguration, and independence of high-level functionality from the details of the current hardware configuration. (DM)2 is designed to perform its tasks eithm autonomously based on a task model and realtime vision system, or under the supervision of a human operator through a custom realtime teleoperation interface.