THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL ROBOTIC INTERFACE THAT PROVIDES RELIABLE AND EFFECTIVE AUTOMATIC POSITIONING OF DEVICES DURING MISSIONS IN SPACE.

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL ROBOTIC INTERFACE THAT PROVIDES RELIABLE AND EFFECTIVE AUTOMATIC POSITIONING OF DEVICES DURING MISSIONS IN SPACE. THE ROBOTIC INTERFACE COMPUTES VERNIER POSITION COMMANDS IN TILT, DISPLACEMENT, RANGE AND ROATATION FROM LOW RESOLUTION VISION INPUTS. WHILE WORKING WITH A TELEOPERATION SYSTEM TO GUIDE IT TO THE PROXIMITY OF ITS TARGET OBJECT IT IS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING, ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES OR PERFORMING REWORK AND REPAIR TASKS INVOLVING MACHINING OR WELDING. THE LOW RESOLUTION VISION SYSTEM IS SIMPLE, RUGGED, LIGHTWEIGHT AND INEXPENSIVE. IT RELIES ON SIGNATURE FEATURES WHICH MUST BE COMPUTED EXTERNALLY AND WHICH ARE OPTIMIZED FOR EACH PARTICULAR ASSIGNED TASK.