Autonomous Precise Assembly of Segmented Mirror Tiles for a Space Telescope

Future space applications require the assembly of large structures in orbit. This can only be achieved by using autonomous robotic systems able to handle repetitive tasks with heavy and large parts in such challenging environment. This paper provides an overview of a system designed to perform autonomous assembly of segmented mirror tiles, as a proof of feasibility for assembling large structures in space using robotic technologies. We describe the hardware components of the system, and present the software layer, including assembly planning, and skill engine. An experimental evaluation of the assembly process is carried out, thus showing the performance achieved with the system.