Publication
Space Robotics Software Testing with the Hybrid Locomotion Rover SherpaTT and a Validation Toolset
Raúl Domínguez; Florian Cordes; Malte Wirkus; Thomas Vögele
In: 15th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (i-SAIRAS '20). International Symposium on Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation in Space (i-SAIRAS-2020), September 19 - October 23, Online-Conference, 10/2020.
Abstract
The paper summarizes the experiences and recent developments in the context of robotics software and hardware testing for space missions gathered by our team at the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center in Bremen. In space robotics, two types of testing take traditionally place: offline and field testing. The robotic platform SherpaTT and testing software which has been used to evaluate the performance of components developed by multiple institutions is presented. The rover SherpaTT provides multiple sensors, advanced mobility features and payload carriage capability, features which meet the most common needs for these tests. The validation software for development, integration, and performance analysis that we have developed targeting this type of testing is also described. Finally, gathered experiences in field testing on representative environments are presented. Stable software system is not just a requirement for space robotics [1] but also gain massive importance in terrestrial fields like rehabilitation [2] and even Human-Robot Interaction [3].