On-Orbit Experiments for Joint Flexibility of ETS-VII Robotic Arm.

In this paper, on-orbit joint flexibility experiments using ETS-VII (Engineering Test Satellite VII) robotic arm are discussed. Considering manipulability of the robotic arm, the arm vibration due to the joint stiffness may influence on the berthing manipulation. The vibration of the robotic arm mounted on a satellite is characterized as follows, 1) coupling between the arm and the satellite attitude vibration, and 2) transition of the arm natural frequency according to its posture changes with the inertial parameter variation. The experiments are planned to evaluate these vibration disturbance. Using telemetry data detected by FTS (Force Torque Sensor) attached to the end-effector, the arm natural frequencies and the transitions of the arm vibration amplitude are analyzed. And the validity of the simulation results is demonstrated.