An on-orbit autonomous assembly device, method and apparatus based on modular robots

Abstract

This application provides an on-orbit autonomous assembly device, method, and apparatus based on a modular robot. The on-orbit autonomous assembly device, upon determining that the current modular robot has been transported to a designated assembly starting position, sends a trajectory route to the current modular robot. If the trajectory route is for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive. Upon receiving position feedback information from a sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, a docking signal is sent to the current modular robot to dock and lock with the spacecraft's central truss. If the trajectory route is not for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive, causing it to rotate and cross over already assembled and locked modular robots according to the trajectory route to reach the target position and lock with adjacent, already assembled modular robots. Therefore, this embodiment can alleviate the dependence on external assembly equipment during the assembly process and reduce the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of spacecraft on-orbit servicing technology, and in particular to an on-orbit autonomous assembly device, method and apparatus based on a modular robot. Background Technology

[0002] Large space structures are the technological foundation for future space missions such as high-capacity space-based communication, high-precision space-based observation, and space-based solar power stations, and have significant scientific and engineering value. However, due to limitations in rocket carrying capacity, large space structures cannot be directly sent into their target orbit in a single launch. Therefore, modular design is required, with multiple launches into orbit for on-orbit assembly.

[0003] For on-orbit assembly solutions, existing technologies include two approaches: one is to assemble antennas on orbit using a robotic arm, and the other is to use a space robot for on-orbit assembly. It is clear that current on-orbit assembly solutions rely on external assembly equipment such as fixed space robotic arms or crawling robots. However, as the scale of space structures increases, the size and performance requirements for assembly equipment inevitably increase, posing significant challenges to on-orbit space assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an on-orbit autonomous assembly device, method, and apparatus based on a modular robot, which reduces the dependence of the assembly process on external assembly equipment and lowers the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot, the on-orbit autonomous assembly device comprising:

[0006] The spacecraft's central truss is equipped with sensor monitoring devices and is mounted on the spacecraft.

[0007] Multiple modular robots, each of which can be locked to the others;

[0008] Spacecraft assembly platform, used to transport modular robots to the assembly starting point;

[0009] The control system, upon determining that the spacecraft assembly platform 3 has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position, sends a trajectory route to the current modular robot. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is for first-layer assembly, it triggers the current modular robot's self-drive. After receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot to dock and lock with the spacecraft's central truss. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is not for first-layer assembly, it triggers the current modular robot's self-drive to flip over and cross the already assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots.

[0010] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide an on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot. This on-orbit autonomous assembly method is applied to the control system of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit autonomous assembly method includes:

[0011] Once it is determined that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position, a trajectory route is sent to the current modular robot. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive. After receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has arrived in place, a docking signal is sent to the current modular robot to dock and lock with the spacecraft's central truss. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is not for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive, so that the current modular robot flips over and crosses the already assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and locks with the adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots.

[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide an on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot. This on-orbit autonomous assembly method is applied to any modular robot of the on-orbit autonomous assembly device described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit autonomous assembly method includes:

[0013] Receive the trajectory route sent to this modular robot by the control system;

[0014] If the received trajectory is confirmed to be the first-layer assembly, the modular robot will be self-driven and move to the spacecraft center truss according to the received trajectory. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it will dock with the spacecraft center truss and lock after confirming that the docking is completed.

[0015] If the received trajectory is confirmed to be non-first-layer assembly, the modular robot will be self-driven and will flip over the assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robots.

[0016] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide an on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot. This on-orbit autonomous assembly device is applied to the control system of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit autonomous assembly device includes:

[0017] The trajectory route sending unit is used to send the trajectory route to the current modular robot when it is determined that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is the first layer assembly, the first layer assembly unit is triggered; if the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is not the first layer assembly, the non-first layer assembly unit is triggered.

[0018] The first-level assembly unit is used to trigger the self-drive of the current modular robot. After receiving the position feedback information sent by the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot so that the current modular robot docks and locks with the spacecraft center truss.

[0019] The non-first-layer assembly unit is used to trigger the current modular robot to self-drive, so that the current modular robot flips over the assembled and locked modular robot according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and locks with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot.

[0020] Fifthly, embodiments of this application also provide an on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot. This on-orbit autonomous assembly device is applied to any modular robot of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit autonomous assembly device includes:

[0021] The trajectory route receiving unit is used to receive the trajectory route sent by the control system to the modular robot; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the first layer assembly, the first layer docking unit is triggered; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the non-first layer assembly, the non-first layer docking unit is triggered.

[0022] The first-layer docking unit is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot and move to the spacecraft center truss according to the received trajectory. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it docks with the spacecraft center truss and locks after confirming that the docking is completed.

[0023] The non-first-layer docking unit is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot, and to flip and cross the assembled and locked modular robot according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot.

[0024] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment provided in this application includes a spacecraft central truss equipped with sensor monitoring devices, multiple interlocking modular robots, a spacecraft assembly platform for transporting the modular robots to the assembly starting position, and a control system. The control system, upon determining that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position, sends a trajectory route to the current modular robot. If the assigned trajectory route for the current modular robot is for first-layer assembly, it triggers self-drive. Upon receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring devices indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot to dock and lock with the spacecraft central truss. If the assigned trajectory route for the current modular robot is not for first-layer assembly, it triggers self-drive to allow the current modular robot to flip and cross over the already assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and lock with adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots. Therefore, the technical solution provided in this embodiment, based on modular assembly, designs the modular units as autonomously movable modular robots, eliminating reliance on external assembly equipment such as space robotic arms or space robots, and supporting the scale expansion of large space structures. Based on this, the technical solution provided in this embodiment can alleviate the dependence of the assembly process on external assembly equipment and reduce the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate compliance with this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2(a) is a schematic diagram of the first part of the modular robot in the first-layer assembly process provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2(b) is a schematic diagram of the first part of the modular robot in the first-layer assembly process provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 2(c) is a schematic diagram of the first part of the modular robot in the first-layer assembly process provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 3(a) is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process provided in an embodiment of this application, showing the first part;

[0031] Figure 3(b) is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process provided in an embodiment of this application, showing the first part;

[0032] Figure 3(c) is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process provided in an embodiment of this application, showing the first part;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the synchronous autonomous assembly of multiple quadrilateral modular robots provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the function of reconstructing large spatial structures is provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 This application provides a schematic diagram of a modular robot for synchronous execution.

[0036] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an on-orbit autonomous assembly method for a control system based on a modular robot, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart illustrating an on-orbit autonomous assembly method for a modular robot based on a controller, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot for a control system provided in this application embodiment;

[0039] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second on-orbit autonomous assembly device for a controller based on a modular robot, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0042] See Figure 1 -3, Figure 1Figure 2(a) shows a schematic diagram of an on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot, as provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 2(b) shows a schematic diagram of a first part of the modular robot in the first-layer assembly process, as provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 2(c) shows a schematic diagram of a first part of the modular robot in the first-layer assembly process, as provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 3(a) shows a schematic diagram of a first part of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process, as provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 3(b) shows a schematic diagram of a first part of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process, as provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 3(c) shows a schematic diagram of a first part of a modular robot in the second-layer assembly process, as provided in this embodiment of the application. The on-orbit assembly device includes: a spacecraft central truss 1, multiple modular robots 2, a spacecraft assembly platform 3, and a control system.

[0043] The spacecraft's central truss 1 is equipped with sensor monitoring devices and is mounted on the spacecraft; multiple modular robots 2 are included, and each modular robot 2 can be locked to the others; the spacecraft assembly platform 3 is used to transport the modular robots 2 to the assembly starting position; the control system is used to send a trajectory route to the current modular robot 2 after determining that the spacecraft assembly platform 3 has transported the current modular robot 2 to the designated assembly starting position. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is for the first layer of assembly, then... Figures 2(a) to 2(c) As shown, the current modular robot 2 is triggered to self-drive. Upon receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot 2 has reached its position, a docking signal is sent to the current modular robot 2 to dock and lock it with the spacecraft's central truss 1. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is not the first-layer assembly, such as... Figures 3(a) to 3(c) As shown, the current modular robot 2 is triggered to self-drive, so that the current modular robot 2 flips and crosses the assembled and locked modular robot 2 according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and locks with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0044] In this embodiment, the spacecraft central truss 1 is installed on the spacecraft and is used to build the first-layer modular robot 2, which is the foundation for on-orbit assembly.

[0045] Modular robots 2 need to be transported to their working orbit by a launch vehicle. As one embodiment, the on-orbit assembly equipment also includes a cargo spacecraft. The cargo spacecraft transports the modular robots 2 to the target orbit of the spacecraft assembly platform 3 in batches. The control system controls the spacecraft assembly platform 3 to transport the modular robots 2 one by one to the designated location. In this embodiment, the launch vehicle launches a cargo spacecraft carrying a large number of modular robots 2 to the predetermined working orbit. Afterward, the cargo spacecraft docks with the spacecraft assembly platform 3, releases the modular robots 2, and the spacecraft assembly platform 3 transports the modular robots 2 to the assembly starting position. As the assembly scale increases, the number of modular robots 2 required also increases. The cargo spacecraft can be launched into orbit in batches.

[0046] After the cargo spacecraft arrives at the target orbit, it first docks with the spacecraft assembly platform 3. Once docking is complete, the cargo spacecraft's hatch opens, and the modular robots 2 stored inside enter the transport track of the spacecraft assembly platform 3. The transport track gradually transports the modular robots 2 to the assembly starting point. Therefore, as an example, the spacecraft assembly platform 3 is equipped with a transport track to sequentially transport the modular robots 2 released from the cargo spacecraft to the assembly starting position.

[0047] Multiple modular robots 2 have the same structure and are all electrically connected to the control system. Each modular robot 2 can be locked to each other to build and assemble into a set structure.

[0048] In practical applications, a cargo spacecraft carrying modular robot 2 is launched by a launch vehicle and arrives at the orbital space where the spacecraft assembly platform 3 is located. The cargo spacecraft docks with the spacecraft assembly platform 3, releases modular robot 2, and the spacecraft assembly platform 3 transports modular robot 2 to the assembly starting position. During the first-level assembly of the large space structure, the control system sends the corresponding trajectory route to modular robot 2. After receiving the trajectory route, modular robot 2 is self-driven and docks with the spacecraft central truss 1, performs a flipping action, and arrives at the target position from the starting position. Then, modular robot 2 docks with and locks with the spacecraft central truss 1. If the spacecraft central truss 1 has already installed its... Modular robot 2 then docks with the spacecraft's central truss 1 and locks with an adjacent and already installed modular robot 2, completing the first-layer assembly. After completing the first-layer assembly, in the second-layer assembly of the large space structure, after receiving the corresponding trajectory route, the modular robot 2 is self-driven and flips over the already assembled and fixed modular robot 2 according to the trajectory route, performing at least two flipping actions to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent and already installed modular robot 2. This process continues until all the required modular robots 2 are assembled in orbit according to their respective corresponding trajectory routes, gradually building the complete configuration of the large space structure.

[0049] In large space structures that have completed their planned on-orbit assembly or are subsequently assembled, such as Figure 5 As shown, if a new large-scale spatial structure needs to be modified, the control system is also used to send a new trajectory route to the designated modular robot 2, so that the autonomously moving modular robot 2 can release the fixed constraints according to the new trajectory route, i.e., the reconstruction requirements of the large-scale spatial structure, and then rotate and move to reach the new target position to construct the new large-scale spatial structure. In this embodiment, the fixed constraints are the locking with other modular robots 2 or the docking with the spacecraft central truss 1.

[0050] In other embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the modular robot 2 includes a polygonal frame 21, a drive ring 22, a locking automatic docking mechanism 23, and a controller mounted on the polygonal frame 21. The drive ring 22 and the locking automatic docking mechanism 23 are mounted on each edge of the polygonal frame 21. The drive ring 22 is used to drive the modular robot 2 to perform a flipping action and to lock or unlock with the drive rings 22 of other modular robots 2 in contact with the spacecraft's central truss 1. When the controller receives a message indicating that the modular robot 2 has reached the target position, it triggers the locking automatic docking mechanism 23 to lock the contacted modular robot 2 and controls the drive ring 22 to release itself so that the drive ring 22 returns to a free rotation state.

[0051] In this embodiment, the modular robot 2 is equipped with a drive ring 22 on its edge. In addition to enabling the module to flip, the drive ring 22 also has the ability to dock, lock, and unlock with other modular robots 2 or spacecraft central truss 1. At the same time, the modular robot 2 is equipped with a locking automatic docking mechanism 23 at its edge point, which is used to lock the modular robot 2 with the spacecraft central truss 1 or other modular robots 2 after the modular robot 2 reaches the target position. This lock can be released when the modular robot 2 moves again to update the target position.

[0052] After modular robot 2 arrives at the assembly starting point, during the first-level assembly, the drive ring 22 of modular robot 2 docks and locks with the spacecraft's central truss 1. Then, driven by the drive ring 22, modular robot 2 rotates 180 degrees relative to the spacecraft, flipping from the starting position to the target position. Next, the locking docking mechanism on modular robot 2 performs a locking action, locking with the spacecraft's central truss 1. The docking lock in drive ring 22 is released, and drive ring 22 returns to its free rotation state. This completes the assembly process for one modular robot 2 module. The second assembly module performs the same flipping process. After arriving at the assembly position, in addition to locking with the spacecraft's central truss 1, it also needs to lock with the locking docking mechanism of the already installed modular robot 2. During the first-level assembly, modular robot 2 only needs to perform a single flipping action to reach the target position; the second-level assembly requires crossing the already installed modular robot 2. The drive ring 22, which has returned to its free state in the already installed modular robot 2, can serve as the footprint point for modular robot 2 to cross modules. Specifically, the drive ring 22 on the edge of modular robot 2 first locks and connects with the drive ring 22 of the fixed assembly module. Modular robot 2 then performs a 180-degree flip, at which point it moves above the fixed modular robot 2. Next, the drive ring 22 on the edge of modular robot 2 in the flip direction locks and docks with the corresponding drive ring 22 of the installed modular robot 2, while the drive ring 22 from the previous flip is released. Next, modular robot 2 performs a second flip, reaching the target position. Finally, the locking docking mechanism on modular robot 2 locks and connects with the installed modular robot 2. This process is repeated for the remaining modular robots, which perform the above on-orbit assembly actions to assemble the second layer of the large spatial structure. Subsequent modular robots 2 repeat the above sequence of actions. As the number of assembly layers increases, the number of locking / unlocking operations and flips performed by modular robot 2 also increases.

[0053] In this embodiment, the modular robot 2 performs a flipping gait, and the drive ring 22 mounted on the edge has reuse capability, supporting the modular robot 2 to continue walking on the installed structure. Furthermore, the modular robot 2 can perform tasks in parallel, with multiple modular robots 2 working on the spatial structure simultaneously, thus greatly improving the assembly efficiency of large spatial structures; in some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, multiple modular robots 2 can perform assembly tasks in parallel.

[0054] In this embodiment, multiple edges of the modular robot 2 are equipped with drive rings 22, thus the modular robot 2 has multiple rotation directions to choose from. The assembly sequence of large spatial structures can be optimized based on assembly indicators such as assembly efficiency and energy consumption, further improving the assembly capability of the modular robot 2. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown, the structural form of the modular robot is not limited to hexagonal, but can be triangular, quadrilateral, and other structural forms.

[0055] As can be seen, in this embodiment, the assembly unit of the large spatial structure is a modular robot 2 with autonomous movement, thus meeting the requirements for shape and function reconstruction of the large spatial structure. When the target shape of the large spatial structure changes, guided by the reconstruction sequence, the modular robot 2 gradually executes the sequence of drive ring 22 docking, fixed constraint release, and re-rolling motion to reach the new target position and construct large spatial structures of different shapes; furthermore, as... Figure 5 As shown, the drive ring 22 of the partially modular robot 2 is docked and locked. When the docking structure is unlocked, the drive ring 22 rotates, enabling dynamic movement of the large spatial structure and greatly improving its task execution capability. As an example, when the controller of the assembled modular robot 2 receives a new trajectory route from the control system, it releases the locking automatic docking mechanism 23 of the modular robot 2 according to the new trajectory route, and then flips and moves to the new target position to construct a new large spatial structure.

[0056] In this embodiment, the assembly unit module of the large spatial structure is an autonomous motion robot with the ability to actively unlock and lock, supporting the efficient replacement of modules in the large spatial structure. Furthermore, the autonomous capability of the modular robot 2 will support the shape and function reconstruction of the large spatial structure.

[0057] Therefore, the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment provided in this application includes a spacecraft central truss 1 equipped with sensor monitoring devices, multiple interlocking modular robots 2, a spacecraft assembly platform 3 for transporting the modular robots 2 to the assembly starting position, and a control system. The control system, upon determining that the spacecraft assembly platform 3 has transported the current modular robot 2 to the designated assembly starting position, sends a trajectory route to the current modular robot 2. If the assigned trajectory route for the current modular robot 2 is for first-layer assembly, it triggers self-drive. Upon receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring devices indicating that the current modular robot 2 has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot 2, enabling it to dock and lock with the spacecraft central truss 1. If the assigned trajectory route for the current modular robot 2 is not for first-layer assembly, it triggers self-drive, causing the current modular robot 2 to rotate and cross over the already assembled and locked modular robots 2 according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots 2. As can be seen, the technical solution provided in this embodiment, based on modular assembly, designs the modular units as autonomously movable modular robots 2, eliminating reliance on external assembly equipment such as space robotic arms or space robots, and supporting the scale expansion of large spatial structures. Based on this, the technical solution provided in this embodiment can alleviate the dependence of the assembly process on external assembly equipment and reduce the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment.

[0058] Secondly, refer to Figure 7 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a flowchart of an on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot 2. This on-orbit assembly method is applied to the control system of the on-orbit assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit assembly method includes the following steps:

[0059] Step 101: After determining that the spacecraft assembly platform 3 has transported the current modular robot 2 to the designated assembly starting position, send the trajectory route to the current modular robot 2. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is the first-layer assembly, proceed to step 102. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is not the first-layer assembly, proceed to step 103.

[0060] There can be one or more modular robots 2. When there are multiple robots, all modular robots 2 can be transported synchronously to the designated assembly starting position, and their respective trajectory routes can be sent to each modular robot 2 so that the modular robots 2 can cooperate with each other to complete the on-orbit assembly according to their respective trajectory routes.

[0061] Step 102: Trigger the self-drive of the current modular robot 2. After receiving the position feedback information sent by the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot 2 has reached its position, send a docking signal to the current modular robot 2 so that the current modular robot 2 docks and locks with the spacecraft center truss 1.

[0062] After triggering the self-drive of the current modular robot 2, it can perform self-movement according to the trajectory. One implementation method is: after the current modular robot 2 docks with the spacecraft's central truss 1, the control system sends a locking signal to the current modular robot 2, and the current modular robot 2 locks onto the spacecraft's central truss 1. Another implementation method is: after the current modular robot 2 docks with the spacecraft's central truss 1, the current modular robot 2 autonomously locks onto the spacecraft's central truss 1.

[0063] Step 103: Trigger the self-drive of the current modular robot 2 so that the current modular robot 2 flips and crosses the assembled and locked modular robot 2 according to the received trajectory to reach the target position and locks with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0064] In this step, the current modular robot 2 follows the received trajectory and rotates multiple times towards the target position, crossing the assembled and locked modular robot 2, and finally arrives at the target position.

[0065] Therefore, the technical solution provided in this embodiment, based on modular assembly, designs the modular units as autonomously movable modular robots 2, eliminating reliance on external assembly equipment such as space robotic arms or space robots, and supporting the scale expansion of large spatial structures. Based on this, the technical solution provided in this embodiment can alleviate the dependence of the assembly process on external assembly equipment and reduce the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment.

[0066] As an example, after receiving the newly issued trajectory plan, the on-orbit assembly method further includes the following steps:

[0067] Step A1: Analyze the new trajectory planning to obtain the trajectory route assigned to each modular robot 2.

[0068] The novel trajectory planning in this embodiment can be an on-orbit assembly planning for assembling a new large-scale spatial structure. For the new large-scale spatial structure, a trajectory route is assigned to the modular robot 2 that constructs the new large-scale spatial structure, so that the modular robot 2 flips and constructs the new large-scale spatial structure according to the received trajectory route.

[0069] Step A2: For each modular robot 2, trigger the self-drive of the modular robot 2 so that the modular robot 2 can flip and cross from the installed position to the target position according to the assigned trajectory route, and lock with the spacecraft center truss 1 or an adjacent and assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0070] As an example, the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment further includes a cargo spacecraft, which transports the modular robots 2 to the target orbit of the spacecraft assembly platform 3 in batches, and the control system controls the spacecraft assembly platform 3 to transport the modular robots 2 one by one to the designated location.

[0071] As an example, the spacecraft assembly platform 3 is provided with a transport track to sequentially transport the modular robot 2 released from the cargo spacecraft to the assembly starting position.

[0072] As one embodiment, the modular robot 2 includes a polygonal frame, a drive ring 22, a locking automatic docking mechanism 23, and a controller mounted on the polygonal frame. The drive ring 22 and the locking automatic docking mechanism 23 are mounted on each edge of the polygonal frame. The drive ring 22 is used to drive the modular robot 2 to perform a flipping action and to lock with other modular robots 2 that are in contact. When the controller receives a message indicating that the modular robot 2 has reached the target position, it triggers the locking automatic docking mechanism 23 to lock the contacted modular robot 2 and controls the drive ring 22 to release itself so that the drive ring 22 returns to a free rotation state.

[0073] Thirdly, refer to Figure 8 As shown, this application also provides an on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot 2. This on-orbit autonomous assembly method is applied to any modular robot 2 of the on-orbit assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit assembly method includes the following steps:

[0074] Step 201: Receive the trajectory route sent by the control system to the modular robot 2; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the first-layer assembly, then proceed to step 202; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be a non-first-layer assembly, then proceed to step 203.

[0075] Step 202: Trigger the self-drive of this modular robot 2 and move to the spacecraft center truss 1 according to the received trajectory. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it docks with the spacecraft center truss 1 and locks after confirming that the docking is completed.

[0076] In this embodiment, locking after docking is confirmed can be initiated by the modular robot 2 through self-locking, or it can be initiated by receiving a locking signal from the control system and locking with the spacecraft center truss 1 according to the locking signal.

[0077] Step 203: Trigger the self-drive of this modular robot 2, and flip over the assembled and locked modular robot 2 according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0078] Therefore, the modular unit is designed as a modular robot 2 capable of autonomous movement. During on-orbit assembly, compared to existing technologies, it no longer relies on external assembly equipment such as space robotic arms or space robots. Instead, it achieves on-orbit assembly of large space structures through the autonomous movement of the modular robot 2, and can support the dimensional expansion of large space structures. Based on this, the technical solution provided in this embodiment can alleviate the dependence on external assembly equipment during the assembly process and reduce the size and performance requirements of the assembly equipment.

[0079] Fourthly, refer to Figure 9 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a first on-orbit assembly device 300 based on a modular robot 2. This on-orbit assembly device is applied to the control system of the on-orbit assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit assembly device includes:

[0080] The trajectory route sending unit 301 is used to send the trajectory route to the current modular robot 2 when it is determined that the spacecraft assembly platform 3 has transported the current modular robot 2 to the designated assembly starting position. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is the first layer assembly, the first layer assembly unit 302 is triggered. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot 2 is not the first layer assembly, the non-first layer assembly unit 303 is triggered.

[0081] The first-layer assembly unit 302 is used to trigger the self-drive of the current modular robot 2. After receiving the position feedback information sent by the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot 2 has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot 2 so that the current modular robot 2 docks with the spacecraft center truss 1 and locks.

[0082] The non-first-layer assembly unit 303 is used to trigger the current modular robot 2 to self-drive, so that the current modular robot 2 flips and crosses the assembled and locked modular robot 2 according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and locks with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0083] Fifthly, refer to Figure 10As shown, this application embodiment also provides a second on-orbit assembly device 400 based on a modular robot 2. This on-orbit assembly device is applied to any modular robot 2 of the on-orbit assembly equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The on-orbit assembly device includes:

[0084] The trajectory route receiving unit 401 is used to receive the trajectory route sent by the control system to the modular robot 2; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the first layer assembly, the first layer docking unit 402 is triggered; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the non-first layer assembly, the non-first layer docking unit 403 is triggered.

[0085] The first-layer docking unit 402 is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot 2 and move to the spacecraft center truss 1 according to the received trajectory route. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it docks with the spacecraft center truss 1 and locks after confirming that the docking is completed.

[0086] The non-first-layer docking unit 403 is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot 2, and to flip and cross the assembled and locked modular robot 2 according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot 2.

[0087] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each device in the above-mentioned apparatus can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above-mentioned method, and will not be repeated here.

[0088] The electronic device provided in this application, from a hardware perspective, can be found in the hardware architecture diagram. Figure 11 As shown, it includes a machine-readable storage medium and a processor, wherein: the machine-readable storage medium stores machine-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor; the processor is used to execute the machine-executable instructions to implement the on-orbit assembly processing operations disclosed in the above example.

[0089] The machine-readable storage medium provided in this application embodiment stores machine-executable instructions. When the machine-executable instructions are invoked and executed by a processor, the machine-executable instructions cause the processor to perform the on-orbit assembly processing operations disclosed in the above examples.

[0090] Here, a machine-readable storage medium can be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that can contain or store information, such as executable instructions, data, etc. For example, a machine-readable storage medium can be: RAM (Random Access Memory), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, flash memory, storage drives (such as hard disk drives), solid-state drives, any type of storage disk (such as optical discs, DVDs, etc.), or similar storage media, or combinations thereof.

[0091] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer, which can take the form of a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email sending and receiving device, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0092] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0093] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0094] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0095] Furthermore, these computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0096] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0097] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this application according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0098] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An on-orbit autonomous assembly apparatus based on modular robots, characterized by, The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment includes: The spacecraft's central truss is equipped with sensor monitoring devices and is mounted on the spacecraft. Multiple modular robots, each of which can be locked to the others; Spacecraft assembly platform, used to transport modular robots to the assembly starting point; The control system, upon determining that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position, sends a trajectory route to the current modular robot. If the assigned trajectory route is for the first-layer assembly, the system triggers the current modular robot's self-drive. Upon receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, the system sends a docking signal to the current modular robot to dock and lock it with the spacecraft's central truss. If the assigned trajectory route is not for the first-layer assembly, the system triggers the current modular robot's self-drive to allow it to rotate and cross over the already assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots.

2. The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment also includes a cargo spacecraft, which transports the modular robots to the target orbit of the spacecraft assembly platform in batches, and the control system controls the spacecraft assembly platform 3 to transport the modular robots one by one to the designated location.

3. The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The spacecraft assembly platform is equipped with a transport track to sequentially transport the modular robots released from the cargo spacecraft to the assembly starting position.

4. The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The modular robot includes a polygonal frame, a drive ring, a locking automatic docking mechanism, and a controller mounted on the polygonal frame. Each edge of the polygonal frame is equipped with a drive ring and a locking automatic docking mechanism. The drive ring is used to drive the modular robot to perform a flipping action and to lock with other modular robots in contact. When the controller receives a message indicating that the modular robot has reached the target position, it triggers the locking automatic docking mechanism to lock the contacted modular robot and controls the drive ring to release itself, so that the drive ring can return to a free rotation state.

5. The on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the controller of the assembled modular robot receives a new trajectory route sent by the control system, it releases the locking automatic docking mechanism of the modular robot according to the new trajectory route, and then flips and moves to reach the new target position to construct a new large-scale spatial structure.

6. An on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot, characterized in that, The on-orbit autonomous assembly method is applied to the control system of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the on-orbit autonomous assembly method includes: Once it is determined that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position, a trajectory route is sent to the current modular robot. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive. After receiving position feedback information from the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has arrived in place, a docking signal is sent to the current modular robot to dock and lock with the spacecraft's central truss. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is not for the first layer of assembly, the current modular robot is triggered to self-drive, so that the current modular robot flips over and crosses the already assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory route to reach the target position and locks with the adjacent, already assembled and locked modular robots.

7. The on-orbit autonomous assembly method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After receiving the new trajectory plan, the on-orbit autonomous assembly method also includes: The new trajectory planning is analyzed to obtain the trajectory route assigned to each modular robot; For each modular robot, trigger its self-drive to allow it to flip and cross from its installed position to the target position along the assigned trajectory, and lock onto the spacecraft's central truss or an adjacent and locked modular robot.

8. An on-orbit autonomous assembly method based on a modular robot, characterized in that, This on-orbit autonomous assembly method is applied to any modular robot of the on-orbit autonomous assembly device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and the on-orbit autonomous assembly method includes: Receive the trajectory route sent to this modular robot by the control system; If the received trajectory is confirmed to be the first-layer assembly, the modular robot will be self-driven and move to the spacecraft center truss according to the received trajectory. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it will dock with the spacecraft center truss and lock after confirming that the docking is completed. If the received trajectory is confirmed to be non-first-layer assembly, the modular robot will be self-driven and will flip over the assembled and locked modular robots according to the received trajectory to reach the target position and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robots.

9. An on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot, characterized in that, The on-orbit autonomous assembly device is applied to the control system of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the on-orbit autonomous assembly device comprises: The trajectory route sending unit is used to send the trajectory route to the current modular robot when it is determined that the spacecraft assembly platform has transported the current modular robot to the designated assembly starting position. If the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is the first layer assembly, the first layer assembly unit is triggered; if the trajectory route assigned to the current modular robot is not the first layer assembly, the non-first layer assembly unit is triggered. The first-level assembly unit is used to trigger the self-drive of the current modular robot. After receiving the position feedback information sent by the sensor monitoring device indicating that the current modular robot has reached its position, it sends a docking signal to the current modular robot so that the current modular robot docks and locks with the spacecraft center truss. The non-first-layer assembly unit is used to trigger the current modular robot to self-drive, so that the current modular robot flips over the assembled and locked modular robot according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and locks with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot.

10. An on-orbit autonomous assembly device based on a modular robot, characterized in that, The on-orbit autonomous assembly device is applied to any modular robot of the on-orbit autonomous assembly equipment described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and the on-orbit autonomous assembly device comprises: The trajectory route receiving unit is used to receive the trajectory route sent by the control system to the modular robot; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the first layer assembly, the first layer docking unit is triggered; if the received trajectory route is confirmed to be the non-first layer assembly, the non-first layer docking unit is triggered. The first-layer docking unit is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot and move to the spacecraft center truss according to the received trajectory. When it receives the docking signal sent by the control system, it docks with the spacecraft center truss and locks after confirming that the docking is completed. The non-first-layer docking unit is used to trigger the self-drive of this modular robot, and to flip and cross the assembled and locked modular robot according to the received trajectory to reach the target position, and lock with the adjacent assembled and locked modular robot.

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