System for the performance of activity in space

Claim 1

A system for the remotely controlled performance of unmanned extravehicular activity in outer space, which system comprises: (A) an orbitable space vehicle having (1) a worksite accessible from the exterior of said vehicle and (2) means associated with said space vehicle worksite for securing of the worksite equipment in space upon which extravehicular activity is to be performed comprising a remotely controlled manipulator grapple means associated with the worksite for positioning the equipment from space and securing it at the worksite, (B) at least one separate servo actuated manipulator slave subsystem located adjacent said worksite for performing work therein on the equipment from space positioned by said manipulator grapple means, (C) a manually operated separate servo actuated manipulator master subsystem for each slave subsystem, said master subsystem being remote from said slave subsystem and operatively connected thereto, (D) a distributed digital communication system within each of said slave and master subsystems, (E) a data transmission link between said digital communications systems, (F) a bilateral force reflective position control subsystem for said slave and master subsystems providing in a natural way a sense of feel directly to the hand of the operator of the master subsystem which is proportional to the loads applied by the operator through the slave subsystem and to loads imposed by the remote environment through the slave subsystem, and (G) a sensory subsystem including means to convey to the operator in a natural way other sensory responses of the remote environment in which extravehicular activity is to be performed.

Claim 2

A system for the remotely controlled performance of unmanned extravehicular activity in outer space, which system comprises: (A) an orbitable space vehicle having (1) a worksite accessible from the exterior of said vehicle and (2) means associated with said space vehicle worksite for securing of the worksite equipment in space upon which extravehicular activity is to be performed comprising a remotely controlled manipulator grapple means associated with the worksite for positioning the equipment from space and securing it at the worksite, (B) at least one separate servo actuated manipulator slave subsystem located adjacent said worksite for performing work therein on the equipment from space positioned by said manipulator grapple means, (C) a manually operated separate servo actuated manipulator master subsystem for each slave subsystem, said master subsystem being remote from said slave subsystem and operatively connected thereto, (D) a distributed digital communication system within each of said slave and master subsystems, (E) a data transmission link between said digital communications systems, (F) a bilateral force reflective position control subsystem for said slave and master subsystems providing in a natural way a sense of feel directly to the hand of the operator of the master subsystem which is proportional to the loads applied by the operator through the slave subsystem and to loads imposed by the remote environment through the slave subsystem, and (G) a sensory subsystem including means to convey to the operator in a natural way other sensory responses of the remote environment in which extravehicular activity is to be performed.

Claim 12

A system for the remotely controlled performance of unmanned extravehicular activity in outer space, which system comprises: (A) an orbitable space vehicle having (1) a worksite accessible from the exterior of said vehicle and (2) remotely controlled manipulator grapple means associated with said space vehicle worksite for retrieving from space and for positioning and securing at the worksite equipment in space upon which extravehicular activity is to be performed, (B) at least one separate servo actuated manipulator slave subsystem located adjacent said worksite for performing work therein, said slave subsystem comprising: (1) a manipulator slave arm having a wrist joint capable of near human articulation at the free end thereof, said wrist joint having a tong adapted to receive any of a plurality of interchangeable work performing tools, (2) a servo actuated brushless DC motor package including: (a) a position encoder, and (b) an electromechanical brake, (3) a rotary interface between said motor package and manipulator arm, and (4) an electronics module operatively connected to said motor package and enclosing (a) pulse width modulated drive amplifiers and (b) microprocessor motion controller means for each motion to be performed by the manipulator slave arm, (C) a manually operated separate servo actuated manipulator master subsystem for each slave subsystem, said master subsystem being located remote from said slave subsystem and operatively connected thereto, said master subsystem comprising: (1) a manipulator master arm having a manually operable control handle at the free end thereof, (2) a servo brushless DC actuator motor package including a position encoder, (3) a rotary interface between said manipulator arm and motor package, and (4) an electronics module operatively connected to said motor package and enclosing (a) pulse width modulated drive amplifiers and (b) microprocessor motion controller means corresponding to each motion to be performed by the slave arm, (D) a distributed digital communication system within each of said slave and master subsystems, each including a supervisor processor, (E) a data transmission link between said digital communications system, said links comprising an interconnection between said supervisor processor and the microprocessor controllers of the master and slave subsystems for each manipulator motion, (F) a bilateral force reflective position control subsystem for said slave and master subsystems providing in a natural way a sense of feel directly to the hand of the operator of the master subsystem which is proportional to the loads applied by the operator through the slave subsystem, and to loads imposed by the remote environment through the slave subsystem, and (G) a sensory subsystem including means to convey to the operator of the master subsystem in a natural way other memory responses of the remote environment in which extravehicular activity is to be performed.

Claim 13

A system for the remotely controlled performance of unmanned extravehicular activity in outer space, which system comprises: (A) an orbitable space vehicle having (1) a worksite accessible from the exterior of said vehicle and (2) remotely controlled manipulator grapple means associated with said space vehicle worksite for retrieving from space and for positioning and securing at the worksite equipment in space upon which extravehicular activity is to be performed, (B) at least one separate servo actuated manipulator slave subsystem located adjacent said worksite for performing work therein, said slave subsystem comprising: (1) a manipulator slave arm having a wrist joint capable of near human articulation at the free end thereof, said wrist joint having a tong adapted to receive any of a plurality of interchangeable work performing tools, (2) a servo actuated brushless DC motor package including: (a) a position encoder, and (b) an electromechanical brake, (3) a rotary interface between said motor package and manipulator arm, and (4) an electronics module operatively connected to said motor package and enclosing (a) pulse width modulated drive amplifiers and (b) microprocessor motion controller means for each motion to be performed by the manipulator slave arm, (C) a manually operated separate servo actuated manipulator master subsystem for each slave subsystem, said master subsystem being located remote from said slave subsystem and operatively connected thereto, said master subsystem comprising: (1) a manipulator master arm having a manually operable control handle at the free end thereof, (2) a servo brushless DC actuator motor package including a position encoder, (3) a rotary interface between said manipulator arm and motor package, and (4) an electronics module operatively connected to said motor package and enclosing (a) pulse width modulated drive amplifiers and (b) microprocessor motion controller means corresponding to each motion to be performed by the slave arm, (D) a distributed digital communication system within each of said slave and master subsystems, each including a supervisor processor, (E) a data transmission link between said digital communications system, said links comprising an interconnection between said supervisor processor and the microprocessor controllers of the master and slave subsystems for each manipulator motion, (F) a bilateral force reflective position control subsystem for said slave and master subsystems providing in a natural way a sense of feel directly to the hand of the operator of the master subsystem which is proportional to the loads applied by the operator through the slave subsystem, and to loads imposed by the remote environment through the slave subsystem, and (G) a sensory subsystem including means to convey to the operator of the master subsystem in a natural way other memory responses of the remote environment in which extravehicular activity is to be performed.