Model Design and Concept of Operations of Standard Interface for On-orbit Construction

The construction of large-scale space facilities requires the use of on-orbit construction technology. However, several of its key components, such as standard interface design, compliant control methods, and path planning for multi-branch robots, still need improvement before practical application. This paper presents a comprehensive solution for on-orbit construction tasks, encompassing a novel standard interface, docking control method, and path planning method for space multi-branch robots. Firstly, a novel standard interface is introduced, which features multiple mating modes and a lightweight design. Additionally, a compliant docking method is provided to generate lower contact forces along the Z-direction. Furthermore, for four-armed space robots, a hierarchical planning method is proposed, which innovates in environment map construction and locomotion planning. Specifically, the closed-form Minkowski sum method is employed to solve the robot’s free space, and a concise locomotion method is elucidated based on transition support points. Finally, simulations and experiments are conducted.