Controlling grip force by maintaining a constant frictional safety margin to improve robotic grasping

Manipulating soft and fragile objects is a challenging task in robotic grasping. The key challenge for robotic grasping is to exert enough grip force to prevent slipping while being gentle enough to prevent damage to an object. Existing grippers used for processes like automatic harvesting of fruits, either apply excessive grip force leading to...

Cost Effective Attitude Control Validation Test Methods for CubeSats Applied to PolarCube

The problem of testing the performance of an attitude control system presents new challenges and opportunities when conducted on a CubeSat scale. This is the result of drastic reduction in physical properties (size, mass, torques) as well as project resources (funds, manpower, time) when compared to traditional satellite programs. This thesis...

Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Linear Time-Varying Pilot-Vehicle System Parameters

Dynamics modelling, simulation, and control of a spacecraft/manipulator system

Four well-known formalisms for mathematical modelling of the dynamics of a spacecraft/manipulator system are derived from the unifying d'Alembert principle. The Newton-Euler formalism is discussed in more detail, as it allows efficient numerical simulation. An algorithm is defined for the control of the manipulator end-effector motion in...