Technical Research on ISS Russian Segment
Experiment Kontur
Objective:
Development and study of the medhods for safe control of remote robotic devices (RRD) though shared networks with due regard for unpredictable time delays peculiar to such networks.
Tasks:
- Study of probabilistic characteristics of telemetric control channel in conducting communication session through Internet with the ISS onboard manipulator.
- Study of the procedures to compensate for random transient delays in transmission of data signals within IP networks of shared access.
- Testing of RRD remote control S/W using shared-access IP networks, with due regard for information security requirements and in case of existing random transient delays in data transmission.
Science Hardware Used:
Hardware ROKVISS consisting of:
- 2-joint ROKVISS manipulator;
- onboard computer ОВС;
- communication module;
- two TV cameras;
- bias lighting of working zone.
Flight Equipment Used:
- electronic power switching unit;
- payload server unit.
The equipment operates in an automatic mode (execution of preset program) or in "visual presence" mode (remote ground manual control in real time).
Tracking and engineering support of communication sessions with manipulator are conducted via the ground antenna station in Weilheim (Germany) with the help of German Partners from the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics (DLR-RM).
In the course of conducting space experiments operated from the ground, i.e. work stations located at TsNII RTK (St.-Petersburg) and, subsequently, at RSC Energia (city of Korolev), ISS onboard control robot-manipulator is provided using dedicated software (S/W). The use is made of the following control configuration onboard the ISS: ARM RTK (Russia) - Internet - Institute for DLR-RM (Germany) - Weilheim (Germany) - based ground antenna station - ISS.
During conducting the experiment operated from workstation in a real-time mode, acquisition of data on manipulator working parameters (joint rotation angles and joint moments) and video data on its operation is carried out, including characteristics of the RTK/DLR-RM communication telematic channel (signal delays, jitter, etc.)
In addition, housekeeping information to support the experiment is sent via nominal telemetry channels to MCC.
Experiment Results:
Experimental data with results of the robotic arm control sessions via Internet with visual control using a TV camera for the robotic arm movements; the results are transmitted via Internet and verified for their compliance with design ones.
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