Paper published Jun 2014 i-SAIRAS Int. Symposium on AI, Robotics and Automation in Space
Abstract – Robonaut 2 (R2), an upper-body dexterous humanoid robot, has been undergoing experimental trials on board the International Space Station (ISS) for more than a year. R2 will be integrated with a mobility platform in 2014 an will be able to maneuver around the ISS. Allowing R2 to go mobile inside the ISS requires new developments on several fronts, necessitating mechanical, electrical, software, and safety system upgrades. The ISS has stringent safety requirements for systems that work with and around the human crew members, and a redundant safety monitoring system is required to satisfy these constraints. This system, for the most part, responds to a requirement that the robot can only impart a limited force on any structure, equipment, or crew members in the ISS. R2 satisfies this requirement using several different force monitoring systems. These and the other safety monitors and controllers will be discussed here.