Serpentine manipultor for remote inspection

A small, light-weight, and highly dexterous serpentine robot is developed for visual inspection. A telerobotics inspection system has been developed to perform remote inspection experiments in realistic space-like environments. The main application focus of this task is the Space Station. The Space Station is a large space platform with complex mechanical, electrical, thermal, fluid and gas interfaces, and a changing suite of internal and external scientific experimental apparatus. On-orbit maintenance of such a complex, changing facility requires periodic as well as "on demand" inspection capabilities.

The inspection system consist of two seven-degree-of-freedom (7-DOF) Robotics Research Corporation manipulator arms which are mounted on two one-degree-of-freedom mobile platforms. The arms carry cameras and lights for inspection. These arms are, however, too large to enter the small truss structure openings. A smaller and more dexterous arm was needed to perform inspection tasks in highly restricted regions.

JPL has developed a serpentine robot to test the feasibility of robotic inspection of such restricted areas. The robot is 1.5 inches in diameter, approximately 3 foot long, weights 6 lbs., and has 11 degrees of freedom. All joints are direct-drive motor controlled, and all motors are mounted internally. Inspection capability is provided by a fiber-optics borescope embedded inside the arm. This borescope transfers images to a camera at the base of the arm and illuminates the inspection site.

The goal is to use this robot as an inspection tool to be picked up by one of the large manipulators. The combined macro/micro arm will have 21 degrees of freedom. Algorithms have been developed to guide this arm through small openings in such a way that the rest of the arm automatically follows the tip's path, thus avoiding collisions with the environment. This technology can be used in industry and medical applications. This work was performed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology. The design is based on an NEC Corporation robotic joint.

For more information see:

Lee, T., Ohm, T., and Hayati, S., " A Highly Redundant Robot System for Inspection," Proceedings of the Conference on Intelligent Robotics in the Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94), Houston, Texas, March 21-24, 1994, pp. 142-149.

Point of Contact:
Samad Hayati
Mail Stop 198-219
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
818-354-8273
Samad.A.Hayati@jpl.nasa.gov

Telerobotics Program page

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Last updated: May 10, 1996