Modular Advanced Networked Telerobotic Interface System (MANTIS)

With the goal to reduce astronaut time required to operate experiments on the ISS and advance automated and telerobotic technology, TUI proposes to collaborate with NanoRacks to develop a "Modular Advanced Networked Telerobotic Interface System" (MANTIS) that will integrate TUI?s existing KRAKEN robotic arm in a payload on the ISS. The MANTIS payload will reduce crew member burden to operate experiments by enabling automated and/or supervised teleoperation of the Plate Reader, MixStix, and other systems. MANTIS will also give researchers an open software framework based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) environment. MANTIS can also be used in STEM outreach through NASA sponsored competitions. The Phase I effort developed a detailed design for MANTIS payload. The Phase II effort will build an engineering unit of the MANTIS payload, design a unit ready for flight-qualification, and build an integrated test environment to enable NASA and NanoRacks to develop and test procedures for using the MANTIS payload. The Phase III effort will mature the MANTIS payload to TRL-6 by performing experiments on NanoRacks hardware aboard the ISS. NanoRacks will collaborate with us in these efforts to enable integration with their experiment platform, and will be our transition partner for Phase III commercialization.