18 citations · 77 across the 34 of their papers we have counts for
37 papers
Path-Following Control and Terramechanics Analysis for Planetary Rovers Under Wheel-to-Wheel Traction Asymmetry
Ryuya Matsuoka, Keisuke Takehana, Kentaro Uno +2
This paper proposes a control strategy for path following that is model-free and relies solely on deceleration for skid-steering planetary rovers navigating deformable loose terrai…
Graph-Based Simultaneous Path and Foothold Planning for Multi-Limbed Intra-Vehicular Robots in Space Stations
Masazumi Imai, Kentaro Uno, Toshinori Kuwahara +1
Robot-aided operations in space stations are essential for reducing the workload of astronauts and improving the efficiency of on-orbit activities. Multi-limbed intra-vehicular rob…
Robot-Assisted Deployment and Maintenance of Inflatable Modules for Lunar Habitation: A Field Demonstration
Kentaro Uno, Shamistan Karimov, Ashutosh Mishra +5
Long-term human habitation and in-situ development on the Moon open a new era of space utilization. In this context, robots are a key technology for facilitating the construction o…
Distributed Multi Robot Lunar Cargo Transportation via Phase Decomposed Reinforcement Learning
Ashutosh Mishra, Elian Neppel, Shreya Santra +4
Modular reconfigurable robotic systems provide a scalable solution for cooperative surface operations in future lunar missions. However, cooperative cargo transportation remains ch…
A Pin-Array Structured Climbing Robot for Stable Locomotion on Steep Rocky Terrain
Keita Nagaoka, Kentaro Uno, Kazuya Yoshida
Climbing robots face significant challenges when navigating unstructured environments, where reliable attachment to irregular surfaces is critical. We present a novel mobile climbi…
LIMBERO: A Limbed Climbing Exploration Robot Toward Traveling on Rocky Cliffs
Kentaro Uno, Masazumi Imai, Kazuki Takada +7
In lunar and planetary exploration, legged robots have attracted significant attention as an alternative to conventional wheeled robots, which struggle to traverse rough and uneven…
A Pin-Array Structure for Gripping and Shape Recognition of Convex and Concave Terrain Profiles
Takuya Kato, Kentaro Uno, Kazuya Yoshida
This paper presents a gripper capable of grasping and recognizing terrain shapes for mobile robots in extreme environments. Multi-limbed climbing robots with grippers are effective…
Assembling Solar Panels by Dual Robot Arms Towards Full Autonomous Lunar Base Construction
Luca Nunziante, Kentaro Uno, Gustavo H. Diaz +3
Since the successful Apollo program, humanity is once again aiming to return to the Moon for scientific discovery, resource mining, and inhabitation. Upcoming decades focus on buil…
Discrete Fourier Transform-based Point Cloud Compression for Efficient SLAM in Featureless Terrain
Riku Suzuki, Ayumi Umemura, Shreya Santra +2
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is an essential technology for the efficiency and reliability of unmanned robotic exploration missions. While the onboard computational…
Data-Driven Terramechanics Approach Towards a Realistic Real-Time Simulator for Lunar Rovers
Jakob M. Kern, James M. Hurrell, Shreya Santra +3
High-fidelity simulators for the lunar surface provide a digital environment for extensive testing of rover operations and mission planning. However, current simulators focus on ei…
Design and Development of Modular Limbs for Reconfigurable Robots on the Moon
Gustavo H. Diaz, A. Sejal Jain, Matteo Brugnera +4
In this paper, we present the development of 4-DOF robot limbs, which we call Moonbots, designed to connect in various configurations with each other and wheel modules, enabling ad…
A Sequential Hermaphrodite Coupling Mechanism for Lattice-based Modular Robots
Keigo Torii, Kentaro Uno, Shreya Santra +1
Lattice-based modular robot systems are envisioned for large-scale construction in extreme environments, such as space. Coupling mechanisms for heterogeneous structural modules sho…
Towards the Automation in the Space Station: Feasibility Study and Ground Tests of a Multi-Limbed Intra-Vehicular Robot
Seiko Piotr Yamaguchi, Kentaro Uno, Yasumaru Fujii +4
This paper presents a feasibility study, including simulations and prototype tests, on the autonomous operation of a multi-limbed intra-vehicular robot (mobile manipulator), shortl…
Online Inertia Parameter Estimation for Unknown Objects Grasped by a Manipulator Towards Space Applications
Akiyoshi Uchida, Antonine Richard, Kentaro Uno +2
Knowing the inertia parameters of a grasped object is crucial for dynamics-aware manipulation, especially in space robotics with free-floating bases. This work addresses the proble…
Optimal Trajectory Planning for Orbital Robot Rendezvous and Docking
Kenta Iizuka, Akiyoshi Uchida, Kentaro Uno +1
Approaching a tumbling target safely is a critical challenge in space debris removal missions utilizing robotic manipulators onboard servicing satellites. In this work, we propose…
MoonBot: Modular and On-Demand Reconfigurable Robot Toward Moon Base Construction
Kentaro Uno, Elian Neppel, Gustavo H. Diaz +8
The allure of lunar surface exploration and development has recently captured widespread global attention. Robots have proved to be indispensable for exploring uncharted terrains,…
Designing for Distributed Heterogeneous Modularity: On Software Architecture and Deployment of MoonBots
Elian Neppel, Shamistan Karimov, Ashutosh Mishra +5
This paper presents the software architecture and deployment strategy behind the MoonBot platform: a modular space robotic system composed of heterogeneous components distributed a…
3D Mapping Using a Lightweight and Low-Power Monocular Camera Embedded inside a Gripper of Limbed Climbing Robots
Taku Okawara, Ryo Nishibe, Mao Kasano +2
Limbed climbing robots are designed to explore challenging vertical walls, such as the skylights of the Moon and Mars. In such robots, the primary role of a hand-eye camera is to a…
Design and Development of a Modular Bucket Drum Excavator for Lunar ISRU
Simon Giel, James Hurrell, Shreya Santra +3
In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is one of the key technologies for enabling sustainable access to the Moon. The ability to excavate lunar regolith is the first step in making l…
An Agnostic End-Effector Alignment Controller for Robust Assembly of Modular Space Robots
Shamistan Karimov, Elian Neppel, Shreya Santra +2
Modular robots offer reconfigurability and fault tolerance essential for lunar missions, but require controllers that adapt safely to real-world disturbances. We build on our previ…
Multi-Modal Decentralized Reinforcement Learning for Modular Reconfigurable Lunar Robots
Ashutosh Mishra, Shreya Santra, Elian Neppel +4
Modular reconfigurable robots suit task-specific space operations, but the combinatorial growth of morphologies hinders unified control. We propose a decentralized reinforcement le…
Enhancing Autonomous Manipulator Control with Human-in-loop for Uncertain Assembly Environments
Ashutosh Mishra, Shreya Santra, Hazal Gozbasi +2
This study presents an advanced approach to enhance robotic manipulation in uncertain and challenging environments, with a focus on autonomous operations augmented by human-in-the-…
Robust and Modular Multi-Limb Synchronization in Motion Stack for Space Robots with Trajectory Clamping via Hypersphere
Elian Neppel, Ashutosh Mishra, Shamistan Karimov +3
Modular robotics holds immense potential for space exploration, where reliability, repairability, and reusability are critical for cost-effective missions. Coordination between het…
Tightly-Coupled LiDAR-IMU-Leg Odometry with Online Learned Leg Kinematics Incorporating Foot Tactile Information
Taku Okawara, Kenji Koide, Aoki Takanose +4
In this letter, we present tightly coupled LiDAR-IMU-leg odometry, which is robust to challenging conditions such as featureless environments and deformable terrains. We developed…