Systems and methods for designing, testing, and validating a robotic system

A robotic testing system for ground testing performance of a space robotic system, the robotic testing system comprising:

• a first robotic manipulator;
• a dynamic system emulator configured to simulate a motion behaviour response of a first space robotic system based on forces and moments measured by the first robotic manipulator during physical interaction of the first robotic manipulator with a second robotic manipulator emulating motion behaviour of a second space robotic system;
• an arm controller configured to generate a manipulator tip reference trajectory command based on the motion behaviour response simulated by the dynamic system emulator and provide the manipulator tip reference trajectory command to the robotic manipulator;
• and
• an arm mechanism in the first robotic manipulator configured to track a trajectory based on the manipulator tip reference trajectory command, such that the first robotic manipulator emulates motion behaviour of the first space robotic system.

A method of ground testing and validating robotic interaction between two independent space robotic systems, the method comprising:

• emulating motion behaviour of a zero-gravity (0G) servicer robotic arm with a first robotic arm using a first dynamic system emulator in the first robotic arm configured to capture manipulator tip dynamics of the 0G servicer robotic arm;
• emulating motion behaviour of a free floating satellite with a second robotic arm using a second dynamic system emulator in the second robotic arm configured to capture dynamics of the free floating satellite;
• physically interacting the first robotic arm with the second robotic arm while emulating the motion behaviours;
• measuring forces and moments experienced by the first robotic arm based on the physical interaction via a force moment sensor (FMS) in the first robotic arm;
• measuring forces and moments experienced by the second robotic arm based on the physical interaction via an FMS in the second robotic arm;
• simulating a response to the measured forces and moments by the first robotic arm using the first dynamic system emulator;
• simulating a response to the measured forces and moments by the second robotic arm using the second dynamic system emulator;
• tracking a trajectory with the first robotic arm based on the simulated response outputted by the first dynamic system emulator;
• and
• tracking a trajectory with the second robotic arm based on the simulated response outputted by the second dynamic system emulator.