R2D2 in a Softball: The Portable Satellite Assistant Yuri Gawdiak’, Jeff Bradshaw’, Brian Williams3, Hans Thomas’ 1. NASA Ames, MS 269-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, yaawdiakQmail.arc.nasa.aov.
[email protected] 2. The Boeing Company, P.O. Box 3707, MS 71-44, Seattle, WA 98124, jeffrev.m.bradshaw Q boeina.com 3. MIT Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Cambridge, MA 02139, williamsQmit.edu ABSTRACT “One astronaut, Andy Thomas, will undertake several hundred research runs involving 26 different science projects The Portable Satellite Assistant (PSA) is a softball-sized in five disciplines. The projects are provided by 33 principal flying robot designed to operate autonomously onboard investigators from the U.S., Canada, Germany and the U.K.” manned and unmanned spacecraft in pressurized micro-gravity Safety considerations and size constraints are also important environments. In this paper we provide an overview of some of issues for many manned mission activities. Consider the the design challenges we face in making the PSA practical, “jungle of cables, power lines, air ducts, and drag lines effective, and usable for future space missions. In particular we obstruct[ing the] hatchway between Mir modules” (figure 1). highlight the need for an agent architecture supporting Even ifit were physically possible for an astronaut to enter adjustable autonomy and a generic model of teamwork. congested spacecraft areas, protruding debris or other Keywords environmental hazards of one kind or another could pose serious safety risks. Agents, teamwork, adjustable autonomy, robotics 1. INTRODUCTION Unmanned spacecraft must perform reliably and effectively in unpredictable precarious environments, despite strict limitations in their power, space, and computing resources.