TORTUOUS PATH ROBOT TRANSPORT

THE SERPENTINE ROBOTIC ARM JOB DESCRIPTION PROMPTS PROPOSING AN ALTERNATIVE EXECUTION THAT MIGHT BE PREFERABLE IN SPACECRAFT ASSEMBLY, TEST AND MAINTENANCE. RATHER THAN HAVE A SERPENTINE ARM, THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS A BUILT-UP STRUCTURE TO TRANSPORT THE ROBOTIC ARM TO ITS WORK SITE. PRESUME THAT THE ROBOT INCLUDES A NESTED LIMP MEMBER WHICH CAN BE EXTENDED AND CONTINUOUSLY RIGIDIZED IN ANY ANGULAR ORIENTATION TO THE ROBOT. THE ROBOT WOULD LOCK ITS "TAIL" TO SOME STRUCTURE BEFORE ENTERING THE OBSTRUCTED WORK ZONE. THEN THE ROBOT WOULD PROCEED ON ITS CIRCUITOUS PATH SUPPORTED BY THE EXTENDING RIGIDIZED TAIL THAT CONFORMSTO THE PATH THAT THE ROBOT TRAVELS. THE ROBOT ARM REELS IN ITS TAIL TO FOLLOW THE REVERSE ROUTE. THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR CONTINUOUS MANIPULATION OF A SERIES OF ARTICULATIONS TO MAINTAIN RELATIVE POSITION WITH THE TORTUOUS "TUNNEL". THE ROBOT ARM WOULD BE "BUILT" AS A RIGID SUPPORT FOR THE ROBOT NO MATTER WHAT THE PATH TO THE WORK SITE. MECHANICAL COMPLEXITY FOR A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION WOULD BE GREATLY REDUCED. IN PHASE I, A VARIETY OF FEASIBLE OPERATING PRINCIPLES WOULD BE EXAMINED. MOST PROMISING IS A FLEXIBLE TUBE FILLEDWITH FLUIDIZED PARTICLES THAT INTERLOCK UPON FLUID EXTRACTION.