Design and validation of slender extensible continuum robot for solar wing re-unfolding in aerospace

The solar array wing deployment of orbiting satellites cannot be performed due to power failure of the connector caused by uncertain loads such as high temperature or vibration in the launching process of the spacecraft. There is currently a lack of suitable unlocking solutions for solar wing re-unfolding. This paper proposes a solution in which an extensible continuum robot (ECR) carrying the unlocking device enters the gap between the satellite and the solar wing, re-unlocking the solar wing. This solution effectively leverages the advantages of ECR collision buffering and adaptable maneuverability within confined space. In response to the proposed solution, the designed ECR with two segments helical spring structure features scalability, hollowness, lightweight, and a big length-diameter ratio. To perform the critical unlocking task, an end effector with the function of loosening and unplugging the aerospace connector for communication is designed based on the drive device away from itself to reduce the inertia of the manipulator. The information from the cameras and force sensors is used to estimate the extent of task execution. We establish an experimental setup to simulate the process of unlocking. The results validate that the ECR successfully accesses the gap (65mm) and accomplishes the unlocking task. The ECR has great application potential for on-orbit service.