Geometric Motion Planning of Free-Floating Space Robot Based on Gauge Fields in Shape Space

This study focuses on motion planning of a free-floating space robot with a single manipulator arm with two degrees of freedom. We develop a concise method of controlling the attitude of the space robot using arm motions under conditions of zero total angular momentum with no external torque. Our method first investigates the gauge fields in shape space of the space robot, which are responsible for the coupling between arm motions and attitude motions. We then identify three fundamental cyclic motion patterns of the arm that can efficiently change the overall attitude of the space robot about three independent axes under conditions of zero total angular momentum with no external torque. Combining, scaling, and repeating these fundamental cyclic motion patterns based on quaternion formalism and Newton’s method, our method achieves a general, large-angle, and precise attitude control of the space robot.