Dust Tolerant Electropermanent Magnetic Tool Interface

With the advancement of ever more capablenbsp;robotic exploration of extraterrestrial bodies comes the need for low-power, low mass, and robust in-situ tools and manipulators. The current state-of-the-art used on robotic landers relies on large, bulky, and monolithic instrumentation turrets, consumingnbsp;a significant proportion of mass budget which is tightly constrained for extraterrestrial missionsnbsp;such as Mars.nbsp;Altius Space Machines has developed a novel electropermanent magnet (EPM) gripping technology that can be integrated into a modular, dust-tolerant end-effector or tool-changer assembly. These switchable magnets unlock a significant new design envelope and offer numerous advantages over mechanical connectors, including:Dust-Tolerant Hermetic Design:nbsp;EPM mating surfaces require nonbsp;exposed moving electrical or mechanical parts on either side of the interfaceHigh Reliability: The EPM Tool Changer has dramatically fewer moving parts than traditional mechanical tool changers,nbsp;eliminating many potential failure modesLow Actuation Power: The EPM magnetic latching system only consumers power (lt;5W) when the magnet is switching states, enabling indefinite holding without requiring additional powerLightweight/Compact: With no need for complex mechanical latching systems, the proposed tool changer can be dramatically lighter and simpler than traditional mechanical solutionsTight Reach Capability: The compact EPM tool changer enables insertion of sampling tools or sensors into much tighter geometric areas than would be possible with a turret or mechanical tool changer designBuilt-in Mechanical Fusing: Because the connection force is provided magnetically, it is possible to design the tool changer such that if a specified torque or force limit is exceeded, the tool separates non-catastrophically from the tool changer, without damaging the robot armPhase I efforts have produced a TRL 4 tool-changer demonstrator, and the technology is ready for more advanced development.nbsp;