Practical Coordination Control Between Satellite Attitude and Manipulator Reaction Dynamics Based on Computed Momentum Concept

This chapter presents a practical control method of robot satellite attitude to cope with manipulator reaction on free-floating space robots, developing the computed-momentum-based reaction compensation (CMRC) concept. The author proposes versions of the CMRC control schemes based on angular momentum conservation in floating multilink systems, and these schemes require far less computation than the computed-torque based methods. The proposed schemes are demonstrated and examined by computer simulations using a realistic 3D model that involves free-floating dynamics and structural vibration of solar paddles. The availability of the proposed method, especially its practical implementation aspect, has been confirmed by a series of numerical simulation assuming a realistic flight-scale model. In addition, the computational cost of the proposed schemes is estimated and then a far advantage to the computed-torque control is shown. The cost estimation and simulation proves that the proposed method works remarkably well to anticipate and compensate the manipulator reaction, although employing a relatively simple control algorithm and conventional-scale reaction wheels.