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Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems

The ARMADAS project is developing software and hardware that will be able to autonomously assemble materials to make a variety of functional structures such as habitat structures, large antennae arrays, and even a spaceport.

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Lead Center

Ames Research Center

Introduced

October 2017

PRINCIPAL TECHNOLOGIST

Gerald Sanders
Julie Kleinhenz
Denise Podolski

Project Manager

Peter Zell
Kenneth Cheung

Featured Story

Robot Team Builds High-Performance Digital Structure for NASA

Greater than the sum of its parts: NASA tests the capability of a system that includes simple robots, structural building…

NASA needs the capability to build large-scale solar power, communications, and habitat systems on other planets to support future deep space exploration. The ability to autonomously assemble these types of structures in space instead of sending large pre-assembled hardware from Earth is critical to sustainable future exploration of Moon, the Red planet, and beyond.

The Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) project is developing software and hardware that will be able to autonomously assemble materials to make a variety of functional structures such as habitat structures, large antennae arrays, and even a spaceport. The team recently developed “builder robots” capable of autonomously working together and assembling small modular units, called “voxels,” to make a large variety of structures. These robots are barely larger than the voxels they work with, and take advantage of the regularity of these structures to build very large and precise assemblies without large positioning or measurement systems. The project’s special algorithms enable the robots to plan a path, specific movements, and a build sequence through a wireless network.

The project will ultimately develop a small satellite-sized payload that automatically unpacks and assembles into functioning systems, such as a small habitat module and array/antenna, using onboard robotic assemblers. The ARMADAS team will perform a ground demonstration in 2021 in which the robots will autonomously build a structure made of hundreds of parts. The ARMADAS technology could eventually be used to build real infrastructure on the lunar surface.

Illustration showing a team of small robots constructing a large solar array on the lunar surface. — This concept shows a team of robots, working autonomously, constructing a solar array on the lunar surface using modular components. Because the angle of the Sun is perpetually low at future Artemis exploration destinations near the South Pole of the Moon, powering a lunar base station with sunlight requires solar panels to be arrayed vertically and high enough to avoid shadows from the lunar terrain. The robots walk on and climb through the open lattice wall structure as they build it. Also shown here is a robotically-built railway system that enables supply of modular components – in this case structural building blocks and solar panels – for the robotic job site. It also functions as conduit for electrical power and data service.
NASA

Illustration showing small robots disassembling and reassembling landing pads on the Moon. — This artist’s concept shows landing pads being autonomously reconfigured by robots while cargo is being offloaded from a lander onto a robotically built rail system. Future lunar supply spacecraft will need landing pads with ejecta shields to avoid kicking up dust and debris that can damage space systems. Landers may serve as permanent facilities at landing sites, and infrastructure such as these shields can be repurposed. Here robots are disassembling the ejecta shield (foreground) and reassembling it in a new location (left background).
NASA

Illustration of a large lunar cave containing several box-shaped facilities connected by walkways, and crew in spacesuits. — Artist’s concept of an autonomously optimized, assembled, and maintained lunar cave habitat and laboratory complex. Lunar caves could protect astronauts from the most difficult environmental factors governing life and work on the Moon – space radiation, micrometeoroid impacts, and extreme temperature changes. The mechanical metamaterial structures shown in this concept are constructed by simple robots using lightweight and strong building blocks. Desired performance can be achieved using building blocks made from a wide variety of materials, including ones made from lunar soil. The structures support the cave for safety and serve to isolate the facility from moonquakes, which happen often and can last for hours. The system connects to other autonomous surface activities via a robotically assembled rail system.
NASA

Illustration of an astronaut in a spacesuit standing on the lunar surface near structures being built by small robots. — This artist’s concept shows the autonomous assembly of critical infrastructure needed for a long-duration human presence on the Moon. Here robots are using modular building blocks to construct structures (left, center) that can protect crew, science facilities, or equipment from space radiation and micrometeoroids. Robots are building a large antenna atop a tower (right) as part of a lunar communications network.
NASA

Featured Video

ARMADAS

The use of simplified robots and a modular approach to structures allows for cross cutting utility across diverse tasks and applications. Distributed coordinated autonomous mobile robotics, as demonstrated by ARMADAS, moves system complexity from mechanisms onto software and algorithms, using teams of robots that deliver more complexity with robust operations at a lower cost than common general purpose robotic agents.

PARTNERS :

Academic partners University of Houston and MIT are collaborating to develop robotic planning and scheduling methods for the project.

Other government agencies are providing funding to the ARMADAS team for complementary work including non-structural functional modules for various applications.

Architectural metal fabrication company, Zahner, of Kansas City, Mo., is performing research on fabricating next-generation voxels for the ARMADAS project.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer ARMADAS building block (‘voxel’) components in stowable ‘flat-pack’ configuration. — Carbon fiber reinforced polymer ARMADAS building block (‘voxel’) components in stowable ‘flat-pack’ configuration.
NASA

ARMADAS project representing the Game Changing Development Program at NASA’s Technology Day on the Hill with research scientist Dr. Christine Gregg discussing in-space construction with astronaut Randy Bresnik.

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