Real-time shared control system for space telerobotics

A shared control system is a modular real-time system which is designed to execute complex tasks through the intelligent coordination of task modules. A state machine is used to control task sequencing and, due to the automatic switching, the accuracy and reliability with which tasks are executed is greatly improved. Tasks consist of sets of independent, modular and reusable subtasks whose outputs are combined to create the robot control. This system has proved itself useful for rapid development of reliable high-level, multiple sensor-based manipulation and control tasks. Additionally, an extensible neural network-based visual servoing system, semi-compliant Cartesian trajectory-following heuristics, and a real-time graphical user interface have been developed. The shared control system was developed for the Self-Mobile Space Manipulator to handle a range of tasks associated with locomotion, manipulation, and material transportation on Space Station Freedom.