The tasks for robots in support of ground-based shuttle operations may involve such functions as opening and closing doors, turning wheels, pulling levers, pushing buttons, turning rotary switches, moving toggle switches, and handling equipment modules. Robots may be used on some of the existing hazardous and repetitive shuttle and payload processing activities such as loading and unloading hypergolic propellants, handling cryogenic fluids, and connection and disconnecting electrical power, fibre optic communication, and data transmission systems. Since all of these functions are currently being accomplished using humans, a robot device with similar reach abilities would allow it to perform these tasks with minimum hardware change. The focus of project is a human envelope manipulator (HEMan), a prototype, two-armed, end effector that can perform support of shuttle ground processing operations and that mimics human reach and movement. It will be attached to a heavy lift robot. Force, tactile, proximity, range, and vision information is provided in a sensor package to assist in actual applications.In Phase I, sensors were identified. The vision sensor is the major sensor that can provide large amounts of data. A conceptual design was evolved during Phase I.Potential Commercial Application:The resulting end effector will have superior manipulative and sensory ability for performing tasks in common applications for robots.
