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Autonomous Robotic Manipulation, Utilization, and Maintenance

Agency:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch:
N/A
Program | Phase | Year:
SBIR | Phase I | 2023
Solicitation:
SBIR_23_P1
Topic Number:
Z5.07

NOTE: The Solicitations and topics listed on this site are copies from the various SBIR agency solicitations and are not necessarily the latest and most up-to-date. For this reason, you should use the agency link listed below which will take you directly to the appropriate agency server where you can read the official version of this solicitation and download the appropriate forms and rules.

The official link for this solicitation is: https://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/solicitations


Release Date:

January 10, 2023

Open Date:

January 10, 2023

Application Due Date:

March 13, 2023

Close Date:

March 13, 2023

Description:

Scope Title:

Sensing and Perception Software for Autonomous Manipulation and Utilization Tasks

Scope Description:

Accurate sensing and perception is critical for achieving the autonomous manipulation and task performance capabilities required for future lunar missions (both on Gateway and on the lunar surface). Limited situational awareness, time delay, data latencies, etc., prevent direct, real-time, human-in-the-loop control from the ground at efficient operational cadences and necessitate greater on-board autonomy for remote robots in situ. Like those developed for terrestrial applications, perception algorithms and approaches for in-space manipulation require improvements in a variety of technical areas, but with the added challenge of being compatible with current-generation space-rated computing, sensors, etc. Solutions must also be suitable for use within the intravehicular activity (IVA)/EVA environment and relevant mission operation constraints.

Technology areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Affordance recognition.
  • Object/obstacle detection and segmentation.
  • Object classification and/or registration.
  • Pose estimation.
  • Semantic SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping).
  • Grasp detection and planning.

Proposals to improve performance and advance current capabilities in areas of interest are encouraged, but technologies must also present a viable path to deployment on board space robots using current-generation computers and sensing suitable for the environment. Improving the speed and efficiency of sensor data processing and perception algorithm performance is desired, and novel techniques to translate state-of-the-art (or better) terrestrial performance to flight robotic manipulation is specifically sought.

Technologies must be applicable to IVR, lunar surface, or other in-space activities, such as:

  • Assembly and maintenance (e.g., mating/demating power, data, and fluid connections; opening/closing panels; installation, stowage, and handling of cables and fluid lines; manipulation of softgoods).
  • Science utilization (e.g., moving samples between cold storage and instruments; experiment monitoring and caretaking; small tool use; manipulation of buttons, switches, levers, etc.).
  • Habitat mobility (e.g., hatch opening/closing, handrail and seat track grasping).
  • Logistics management (e.g., payload handling, packing/unpacking bags, kitting items).

Dual-use technologies with broad applicability to both space and terrestrial applications are encouraged, but a clear infusion path to NASA missions must be demonstrated. To facilitate infusion, proposals are encouraged, but not required, to:

  • Target near-term integration and testing on relevant NASA robots (e.g., International Space Station (ISS) Astrobee Facility, Valkyrie) or in coordination with ongoing NASA development efforts.
  • Limit dependence on third-party proprietary technologies that might complicate NASA adoption of the technology.
  • Use industry-standard hardware and software interfaces, architectures, and frameworks that align with relevant NASA robotic development efforts to reduce future integration effort (e.g., Robot Operating System (ROS)/ROS2/SpaceROS).
  • Demonstrate technology advances in the context of relevant manipulation or utilization task performance.

Expected TRL or TRL Range at completion of the Project: 4 to 6

Primary Technology Taxonomy:

  • Level 1 04 Robotics Systems
  • Level 2 04.1 Sensing and Perception

Desired Deliverables of Phase I and Phase II:

  • Research
  • Analysis
  • Prototype
  • Software

Desired Deliverables Description:

Phase I deliverables include:

  • Background research and feasibility studies.
  • Conceptual design, trade studies, and description of proposed solution.
  • In some instances, an initial proof-of-concept implementation and/or testing (using either hardware or simulation).

Phase II deliverables include:

  • Software source code, user manual/instructions, documentation.
  • Test and/or performance data.
  • Demonstration of software prototype on robot hardware.

State of the Art and Critical Gaps:

Current state-of-the-art approaches rely on computing performance far greater than current space-rated systems, external equipment or sensors not suitable for the IVR or in-space environments, significant cloud computing resources, or large external data sets. Increased accuracy and speed are needed for improved reliability during task performance and to expand the range of manipulation and utilization tasks possible with autonomous robots. Perception suitable for fine dexterous manipulation is limited in the field. Improved processing efficiency and a reduced reliance on external resources is needed to facilitate deployment on board space robotic systems and mitigate the lack of direct user interaction during remote operations.

Relevance / Science Traceability:

This scope represents an enabling technology for IVR operations on Gateway (science utilization, logistics management, payload handling, maintenance, etc.) and, more generally, for remote robotic manipulation in support of lunar surface infrastructure assembly and robotic in-space servicing.

Autonomous manipulation, inspection, and utilization supported by the perception technologies in scope directly support NASA’s Moon-to-Mars objectives to “(LI-4) Demonstrate technologies supporting cislunar orbital/surface depots […] and support systems needed for continuous human/robotic presence,” and “(OP-9) Demonstrate the capability of integrated robotic systems to support and augment the work of crewmembers on the lunar surface, and in orbit around the Moon.”

References:

Scope Title:

Improved Robot Hardware for In-Space Manipulation

Scope Description:

The goals of maximizing science return and establishing a sustainable exploration infrastructure, highlighted in NASA’s Moon-to-Mars objectives, require extensive robotic operations in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface. Much of this work is needed during uncrewed periods of operation; precursor missions; and initial deployment, assembly, and outfitting of equipment. Effective assembly and maintenance of in-space assets and sustained utilization of equipment, instruments, and experiments require high-performance robotic manipulation to interact with existing interfaces, tools, and components. Fine manipulation to perform dexterous tasks traditionally reserved for the human hands of crew is a particular challenge in the space environment and would significantly improve mission capability if further advanced.

IVR on board Gateway is one immediate application for improved robot manipulation hardware, but novel designs and new technology in this area have wide applicability to in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) and surface asset/infrastructure outfitting as well.

Novel hardware designs with improved manipulation performance are specifically sought for a range of IVR, lunar surface, and in-space servicing tasks, including:

  • Assembly and maintenance (e.g., mating/demating power, data, and fluid connections; opening/closing panels; installation, stowage, and handling of cables and fluid lines; manipulation of softgoods).
  • Science utilization (e.g., moving samples between cold storage and instruments; experiment monitoring and caretaking; small tool use; manipulation of buttons, switches, levers, etc.).
  • Habitat mobility (e.g., hatch opening/closing, handrail and seat track grasping).
  • Logistics management (e.g., payload handling, packing/unpacking bags, kitting items).

Technology areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • End effector design (with specific emphasis on adaptability and fine grasp dexterity).
  • Compact, low-mass robotic actuation and manipulators with human-scale force and manipulation capability.
  • Embedded force and tactile sensing for manipulation.
  • Fault tolerance, redundancy, or fail-operational designs.
  • Reliability, robustness, and repeatability.

All technologies must provide a demonstrable advance over current state-of-the-art solutions and present a viable path toward use in the IVA or EVA environment. Dual-use technologies with broad applicability to both space and terrestrial applications are encouraged, as are both system- and component-level technology proposals, but a clear infusion path to NASA mission applications must be demonstrated. To facilitate infusion, proposals are encouraged, but not required, to:

  • Target near-term integration and testing on relevant NASA robots (e.g., ISS Astrobee facility, Valkyrie) or in coordination with ongoing NASA development efforts.
  • Limit dependence on third-party proprietary technologies that might complicate NASA adoption of the technology.
  • Use industry standard hardware and software interfaces, architectures, and frameworks that align with relevant NASA robotic development efforts to reduce future integration effort (e.g., ROS/ROS2/SpaceROS).
  • Demonstrate technology advances in the context of relevant manipulation or utilization task performance.

Expected TRL or TRL Range at completion of the Project: 4 to 6

Primary Technology Taxonomy:

  • Level 1 04 Robotics Systems
  • Level 2 04.3 Manipulation

Desired Deliverables of Phase I and Phase II:

  • Research
  • Analysis
  • Prototype
  • Hardware
  • Software

Desired Deliverables Description:

Phase I deliverables include:

  • Background research and feasibility studies.
  • Conceptual design, trade studies, and description of proposed solution.
  • Initial concept of operation and demonstrated progress toward a significant improvement over state-of-the-art robotic solutions, rather than just an incremental enhancement.

Phase II deliverables include:

  • Hardware prototype with supporting software, design information, and documentation.
  • Test and/or performance data.
  • Demonstration of robot hardware performing a relevant task.

State of the Art and Critical Gaps:

State-of-the-art manipulation hardware is largely seen in industry-targeted “cooperative robots” for factory-floor applications and early Technology Readiness Level (TRL) dexterous robots. Improving on these systems and transitioning to flight applications is desired. Existing flight systems are limited in dexterity and are significantly larger than fine manipulation tasks require.

Critical gaps exist in the demonstrated performance of key use cases, particularly fine manipulation tasks such as mating/demating connectors designed for human-hand manipulation. Low-size, low-mass solutions are needed that can nevertheless withstand human-scale forces. Compact embedded sensing integrated into robot manipulators (arm and/or end effectors) is needed to reduce robot size and eliminate the need for external support equipment during manipulation tasks.

Relevance / Science Traceability:

This scope represents an enabling technology for IVR operations on Gateway (science utilization, logistics management, payload handling, maintenance, etc.) and, more generally, for remote robotic manipulation in support of lunar surface infrastructure assembly and robotic in-space servicing.

Autonomous manipulation, inspection, and utilization supported by the novel hardware technologies targeted directly support NASA’s Moon-to-Mars objectives to “(LI-4) Demonstrate technologies supporting cislunar orbital/surface depots […] and support systems needed for continuous human/robotic presence,” and “(OP-9) Demonstrate the capability of integrated robotic systems to support and augment the work of crewmembers on the lunar surface, and in orbit around the Moon.”

References:

  • “The Robot Operating System (ROS).” https://www.ros.org/
  • “What is Astrobee?” https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee
  • https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-outlines-lunar-surface-sustainability-concept
  • J. Crusan, et al. 2018. "Deep space gateway concept: Extending human presence into cislunar space." In Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT.
  • “NASA’s Gateway.” https://www.nasa.gov/gateway
  • M. Deans, et al. 2019. "Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking (ISAAC)." Presentation, Gateway Intra-Vehicular Robotics Working Group Face to Face, Houston, TX; NASA Technical Reports Server. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20190029054
  • M. Bualat, et al. 2018. "Astrobee: A new tool for ISS operations." In Proceedings of AIAA SpaceOps, Marseille, France. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20180006684
  • “NASA’s Plans for Commercial LEO Development” https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9172512
  • N. Radford, et al. 2015. “Valkyrie: NASA's First Bipedal Humanoid Robot.” In Journal of Field Robotics, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 397-419, 2015.

Scope Title:

Supervised Autonomy for Cislunar Space and Lunar Surface Robotics

Scope Description:

Robotic operations in cislunar space and on the lunar surface require different operational paradigms than currently used in low Earth orbit (where real-time human-in-the-loop control by crew or the ground is often reasonable) or on Mars (where the lack of human crew, limited interaction dynamics, and a relatively static environment allow for slow, preplanned operations). Supporting NASA’s Moon-to-Mars science and exploration objectives necessitates both greater onboard autonomy for cislunar and lunar surface robots, and more efficient control modalities, interfaces, and task-planning/execution integration for remote operators. Faster, human-scale operational cadences must be achieved; robotic tasks on board Gateway, throughout cislunar space, or in support of lunar surface operations will require significantly more manipulation/interaction with equipment and the environment; and the complexity of these tasks will be higher to effectively utilize science equipment in the absence of crew or to service, maintain, or assemble surface and orbital assets.

 

Advances in supervisory control, shared control, autonomy for remote operations, and tools or technologies that efficiently balance the strengths of an in situ robot and a remote operator during real-time task planning and execution are desired. Technology areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Task primitives/task parameterization.
  • User interfaces for efficient supervisory control.
  • Control techniques and onboard autonomy to accommodate intermediate time delays, data latencies, and unreliable/intermittent communication.
  • Fault/failure detection, mitigation, and response during remote robotic tasks.
  • Improved autonomy for planning, scheduling, and execution.
  • Coordinated mobility and manipulation control.

All technologies must provide a demonstrable advance over current state-of-the-art solutions and have immediate applicability to the performance of robotic tasks relevant to the NASA IVR, lunar surface, or cislunar environment, such as:

  • Assembly and maintenance (e.g., mating/demating power, data, and fluid connections; opening/closing panels; installation, stowage, and handling of cables and fluid lines; manipulation of softgoods).
  • Science utilization (e.g., moving samples between cold storage and instruments; experiment monitoring and caretaking; small tool use; manipulation of buttons, switches, levers, etc.).
  • Habitat mobility (e.g., hatch opening/closing, handrail and seat track grasping).
  • Surface mobility (e.g., high-progress-rate navigation, sample collection, excavation).
  • Logistics management (e.g., payload handling, packing/unpacking bags, kitting items).

Dual-use technologies with broad applicability to both space and terrestrial applications are encouraged, but where applicable, technologies for deployment on remote robot hardware should be appropriate to the hardware/computing limitations imposed by the cislunar and/or lunar surface IVA/EVA environment. An emphasis on interoperability, modularity, and compatibility with multiple robots and existing control architectures/frameworks is strongly encouraged to facilitate infusion and the development of fully integrated human-machine supervisory control solutions. To this end, proposals are encouraged, but not required, to:

  • Target near-term integration and testing on relevant NASA robots (e.g., ISS Astrobee Facility, Valkyrie) or in coordination with ongoing NASA development efforts.
  • Limit dependence on third-party proprietary technologies that might complicate NASA adoption of the technology.
  • Use industry-standard hardware and software interfaces, architectures, and frameworks that align with relevant NASA robotic development efforts to reduce future integration effort (e.g., ROS/ROS2/SpaceROS).
  • Demonstrate technology advances in the context of relevant remote manipulation or utilization task performance.

Expected TRL or TRL Range at completion of the Project: 4 to 6

Primary Technology Taxonomy:

  • Level 1 04 Robotics Systems
  • Level 2 04.4 Human-Robot Interaction

Desired Deliverables of Phase I and Phase II:

  • Research
  • Analysis
  • Prototype
  • Software

Desired Deliverables Description:

Phase I deliverables include:

  • Background research and feasibility studies.
  • Conceptual design, trade studies, and description of proposed solution.
  • In some instances, an initial proof-of-concept implementation and/or testing (using either hardware or simulation).

Phase II deliverables include:

  • Software source code, user manual/instructions, documentation.
  • Test and/or performance data.
  • Demonstration with robot hardware.

State of the Art and Critical Gaps:

Current state of the art includes the control of recent robotic demonstrations on board ISS (e.g., Astrobee, Robonaut 2) as well as numerous terrestrial applications that demonstrate the control of remote robotic assets (military, undersea, etc.).  Advancements are needed to improve remote operator situational awareness and understanding of robot actions, provide more efficient means of high-level task commanding, and leverage onboard autonomy for real-time task performance and coordination between operator and robot over intermediate time delays and intermittent/unreliable communication.

Relevance / Science Traceability:

This scope represents an enabling technology for IVR operations on Gateway (science utilization, logistics management, payload handling, maintenance, etc.) and, more generally, for remote robotic operations in cislunar space and on the lunar surface.

Integrated human-robot systems leveraging novel supervisory control technology for remote operations; improvements in onboard robot autonomy and shared control paradigms; and established approaches to interoperability, modularity, and coordination will directly support NASA’s Moon-to-Mars objectives to “(TH-9/TH-10) Develop integrated human and robotic systems with inter-relationships that enable maximum science return from the lunar/Mars surface and from lunar/Mars orbit,” and “(OP-10) Demonstrate the capability to remotely operate robotic systems that are used to support crew members on the Lunar or Martian surface, from the Earth or from orbiting platforms.” Advancing these objectives has additional relevance to achieving the wide array of autonomous infrastructure activities further envisioned in Agency objectives.

References:

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