REAL-TIME SHARED CONTROL-SYSTEM FOR SPACE TELEROBOTICS

The shared control system is a modular real-time system designed to ex ecute complex tasks through the intelligent coordination of task modul es. A state machine is used to control task sequencing, and due to the automatic switching, the accuracy and reliability with which tasks ar e executed, is greatly improved. Tasks consist of sets of independent, modular, and reusable subtasks whose outputs are combined to create t he control. This system has proved itself useful for rapid development of reliable high level multiple sensor based manipulation and control tasks. Additionally, we have integrated a neural network based visual servoing system, a semi-compliant Cartesian trajectory following heur istics, and a real-time graphical user interface in the system. The sh ared control system was implemented for the Self-Mobile Space Manipula tor (SM(2)) to handle a range of tasks associated with locomotion, man ipulation, and material transportation on Space-Station Freedom.