On-Ground Kinematic Simulator of the Motion Suspension System for Space Manipulator Testing

Kurzfassung

This work presents kinematic planning for a cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) that support a robotic manipulator by usage of a single collision body that represents the CDPR. Our approach has the benefit of computationally efficient planning and compatibility with established path planners. CDPR are used in ground-based verification and validation of space robots to partially offload the added gravitation loads of the ground environment. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has developed the space robotic manipulator CAESAR which is tested with the Motion Suspension System (MSS). The kinematic complexity of this coupled robotic system demands careful analysis of possible collisions between the manipulator, the MSS cables, and laboratory elements before executing any motions. This work presents the design, implementation, and demonstration of a kinematic simulator for analyzing the workspace envelope of the MSS by considering cable forces and cable-environment collisions. A method for using the Unified Robot Description Format (URDF) for parallel kinematics is proposed and a heuristic approach is employed for cable force computation. The implementation allows a seamless integration in existing collision framework. The simulator demonstrated practical value by identifying improved laboratory configurations, supporting reconfiguration of on-ground space manipulator tests.