Coordinated base disturbance and Cartesian stiffness optimization of a cable-driven redundant space robot

The cable-driven redundant space manipulator (CDRSM) has a wide range of potential applications in on-orbit servicing due to its light weight, low inertia, and intrinsic compliance. Especially for capturing and detumbling large-momentum tumbling targets in space, it requires agile approaching and synchronizing, compliant contact and dexterous post-capture manipulation. Due to the limited energy resources of the space robot, we propose a coordinated configuration and end-effector (EE) trajectory optimization method to minimize base disturbance, as well as maximize EE stiffness for guaranteeing the accuracy of post-capture manipulation. The dynamics coupling between the free-floating base and the CDRSM is derived, along with the kinematic modeling and stiffness analysis of the cable-driven joints. Considering the equiangular constraint relationship and the kinematic coupling characteristics of the cable-driven joints, the configuration of the CDRSM and the EE trajectory are parametrically represented using the arm angle and the rational B & eacute;zier curves, respectively. Further, based on these parameter variables, the particle swarm optimization and multiple-objective particle swarm optimization algorithms are used to minimize the base disturbance and maximize EE stiffness during post-capture manipulation. Finally, several simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.