Stabilization of Free-Flying Underactuated Mechanisms in Space

Abstract

Underactuated mechanisms provide low cost automation and can overcome actuator failures. These mechanisms are more suitable for space applications mainly because of their lower weight and lower power consumption. Typical examples of useful underactuated mechanisms in space would be large space structures and robot manipulators. Such mechanisms are however difficult to control because of the fewer number of actuators in the system. In this paper we formulate the dynamics of an underactuated mechanism using Hamilton's canonical equations. Next, we develop a theorem that provides us with some necessary and some sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability of autonomous systems. This theorem is more powerful than LaSalle's theorem when higher order derivatives of the Liapunov function can be easily computed. Finally, we use a Liapunov function approach to develop a control strategy that will stabilize an underactuated mechanism in space to an equilibrium manifold. The effectiveness of such control is verified using our asymptotic stability theorem.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA242557

Entities

People

  • Ranjan Mukherjee

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Automation
  • Autonomous Systems
  • Classification
  • Control Systems
  • Dynamics
  • Energy Consumption
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Large Space Structures
  • Manipulators
  • Mathematical Analysis
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Nonlinear Systems
  • Robotics
  • Spacecraft

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Robotics and Automation.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - Machine Learning Algorithms
  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - Autonomous System Control
  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers