A separable combination of wheeled rover and arm mechanism: (DM)2

Abstract

We present a novel mobile manipulator concept called the dual-use mobile detachable manipulator, or (DM)/sup 2/, for early construction and maintenance tasks in lunar stations. The robot consists of a wheeled rover, or mobile base and a detachable manipulator arm. The arm is symmetric, with a gripper at each end. When the arm attaches to the mobile base by grasping a handle with one of its grippers, the robot becomes a mobile manipulator and can perform exploration tasks such as collecting soil samples, surveying the lunar surface, and transporting tools and supplies. When the robot nears a lunar center structure such as a manufacturing center or a fuel tank, the manipulator arm can detach from the base and walk hand-over-hand, by grasping a series of handles on the structure, to perform tasks such as structure inspection, parts delivery, and simple assembly tasks. The paper discusses the concept and its advantages, the system under development, and its software architecture.