Stability aspects of vision-based control for space robots

Delicate tasks for space robots such as the assembly of the International Space Station, require manipulator control systems which cope effectively with structural flexibility and oscillations typical for space robots. The use of vision systems offer new possibilities for precision control for space robots but also poses new challenges due to the noncollocated sensor/actuator configuration on the flexible robot structure. This paper investigates associated stability problems and presents a new control concept which is robust with respect to the variations, nonlinearities and unknowns in the behaviour of large space robots.