Artificial potential field-based cluster motion planning method for modular self-reconfigurable satellites

This paper proposes an artificial potential field based cluster motion planning algorithm for cubic reconfigurable modular satellites. The proposed algorithm incorporates a reverse-flow strategy to prevent cluster deadlock. Two cluster motion planning frameworks operating in surging and laddered modes were developed for different module execution sequences. These complementary frameworks are adaptable to different application scenarios, with the laddered framework prioritizing path efficiency and the surging framework prioritizing spatial compactness. To achieve cluster locomotion in complex environments, a hierarchical planning framework based on the A* algorithm was developed. In this framework, the top layer algorithm plans a sequence of target points to navigate the configuration for obstacle avoidance, thereby preventing the cluster from becoming trapped in local minima within artificial potential fields. Simulations of the reconfiguration process were performed at various distances to compare the motion characteristics of the surging and laddered frameworks. The simulation results from two complex environments confirmed the effectiveness of the hierarchical planning framework.