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spacedecentral / Coral

Coral is an open source robotic space mission, designed to perform in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) using lunar regolith as feedstock.
https://spacedecentral.net/coral
GNU General Public License v3.0
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Literature review on robotic elements #39

Closed Suzibianco closed 6 years ago

Suzibianco commented 6 years ago

How to complete this task:

Create a new issue (issues are tasks). The title of the new issue should be "Literature review on robotic elements - name " where name is your name.

In the body of the issue, add a reference to this issue (e.g., "This issue is in response to #39") Move your issue to the "In progress" column. This is to assure you will get assigned points for this task.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cn1-CJEmBwlEBNHqH4GXTT3LoZFfGCqc

Conduct a literature review to identify the several robotic elements that will constitute the full Coral ensemble and its implementation. Document this review in a Google Doc. These systems include at a minimum excavation; regolith transport, regolith sorting, beneficiation, and processing into feedstock; 3D printing.

This task will require extensive research into industrial robotics to comprehend what systems are most appropriate and effective for this type of operation. Everyone wants to be creative in starting a new project, but there is already a long and rich history of industrial robots. Perhaps the first “integrated” production line was the Robogate at the GM Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac Division in Hamtramck (Poletown) Michigan, circa 1986. Robogate consisted of 200 robots making the assembly line for the “common platform,” the combination of the chassis and body of the automobiles. A computer-controlled just in time inventory (JITI) system brought all the parts to Robogate as they were needed. The JITI delivered stacks of sheet metal pre-cut to the required shape to feed Robogate. The robots would take the sheet metal, bend it to the correct shape to make the body of many different models of car, weld it in place, and pass it on to the next station. Shaped, rolled steel for the chassis and flat sheet metal for the bodies came into the Robogate along the assembly line and the complete body-chassis platform of the car came out at the end.

A second aspect of multiple robots that are free to move and position themselves autonomously is what is called a “robot swarm.” Around 2002, iRobot had a contract from NASA Ames to develop the robot swarm for small excavator and bulldozer type machines based on their Packbot.

No doubt there have been many other comparable projects since that time. This project starts with a thorough literature review and critical evaluation of projects and systems of potential relevance. This review must define the criteria by which to conduct this evaluation to select the best options and directions for future development.

This research should lead to a description of the “operating system” to multiple robots to work autonomously together to perform the repertoire of Coral operations and tasks.

Suzibianco commented 6 years ago

[Closing this issue as we migrate to a new phase in Coral and new process of how we document issues.]