Space Station Support

Space-Proven GITAI Robotic Arms

GITAI provides IVR & EVR services for the International Space Station (ISS) and commercial space stations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). GITAI’s autonomous robotic arms with different lengths (1m, 1.5m, and 10m length), with “grapple end-effectors”, can be tailored to optimize the dexterity for required applications such as solar panel assembly, repetitive gearing, moving payload, and station modules, inspection & repairs, human EVA support, and spacecraft berthing support.

Our general-purpose robots for space applications can conduct various tasks. In fact, a GITAI autonomous space robot successfully conducted a technology demonstration inside the ISS Nanoracks Bishop Airlock in October 2021, executing in-space assembly and IVA tasks. In this project, Nanoracks provided the launch opportunity, on-orbit operations, and data downlink. NASA was in charge of launching the GITAI robot to the ISS and payload installation by NASA astronauts. Below is the footage of the ISS demo.

Space Structure assembling inside the ISS

In this technical demonstration, GITAI S1 conducted a set of common crew IVA tasks such as pushing buttons, flipping switches, plugging in/out cables, etc. It also conducted an In-Space Assembly (ISA) task, assembly of a space structure resembling a solar panel or RF antenna. These tasks are conducted semi-autonomously based on GITAI’s original software such as:

Perception with robust fiducial makers,
Motion planning with trajectory caching, and
Verification using an image sensor and mechanical sensors.

Autonomous & Remote Control (Teleoperation)

GITAI provides autonomous robots for space, but all of GITAI’s robots can be also operated by a remote control (teleoperation) system. “GITAI H1” is the manipulation system to monitor and teleoperate a robot. GITAI H1 has an HMD (Head Mount Display) displaying visuals from the robot in MR (Mixed Reality), enabling the operator to intuitively control the robot. It can realize fully flexible operations for various tasks. In the tech demo inside the ISS, some IVA activities such as switch & cable operations were also conducted by remote control from the Nanoracks mission control center (“BRIDGE”) in Houston.

Extra-Vehicular Tech Demo outside the ISS

As the next challenge, GITAI’s extra-vehicular autonomous robot will be deployed on the external environment of the Bishop Airlock in 2023. In this technology demonstration, GITAI’s 1.5m-long autonomous dual robotic arm system “S2” seeks to autonomously execute In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) exposed to the harsh space environment, outside the ISS.

GITAI has already successfully tested this same model autonomous robot in the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) 8m class thermal vacuum chamber in February of 2022. By demonstrating this technology in space, GITAI aims to achieve NASA’s Technology Readiness Level 7 (confirmation of the feasibility of the technology as a system in space). The below figure shows the overview of this technology demonstration.

KEY TECHNOLOGIES

GITAI S10

Overview

GITAI S10 is a 10m length autonomous robotic arm for commercial space stations, which are being developed by several companies in the US. The GITAI S10 has successfully completed various tests corresponding to NASA’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3.

Specifications

Length: 10m
Control: autonomous / teleoperation

GITAI S2

Overview

GITAI S2 is a 1.5m length dual autonomous robotics arm. It completed demonstrations of ISAM Activities in a simulated space environment and already reached NASA’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6. It will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023, and conduct several technology demonstrations outside the ISS in order to achieve TRL 7.

Specifications

Length: 1.5m (Dual Arm)
DOF: 7+1 for each arm
Control: autonomous / teleoperation

GITAI S1

Overview

GITAI S1 is a 1.0m length autonomous robotic arm. In 2022, GITAI S1 was installed inside the ISS Nanoracks Bishop Airlock and succeeded in executing two tasks: assembling structures and panels for In-Space Assembly (ISA), and operating switches & cables for Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA).