Space Operator Robotic Terminal and Interface Environment (SORTIE)

Cambrian Works (CAMBRIAN) addresses a space defense need to execute robotic missions at GEO in the immediate future.  The specific need is for an operator capability to manage operations in real-time at distances as far as GEO (and eventually Cis-Lunar) in a way that the operator can interact with the mission as if truly present at the work site, using open-standards and without “vendor-locked” systems. CAMBRIAN resolves this On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM) challenge by creating an innovative dual-use commercial prototype, SORTIE, that integrates two key technologies that exist in other market sectors.  CAMBRIAN’s solution overlays (1) a network-based, state-of-the-art virtual operations robotic control tool kit developed by SRI International (SRI), with (2) CAMBRIAN’s commercial, low-latency, autonomous data routing and delivery to rapidly create a proof-of-concept prototype of an open-standards, virtual-reality environment providing operators direct control and/or human-on-the-loop operations of remote robotic systems. This solution takes advantage of the Master-Agent relationship within the SRI software architecture to distribute these elements of the control system across end-points within Cambrian’s network that was developed specifically to provide Internet-compatible data delivery and routing for resilient, scalable, low-latency space operations.