Chinese astronauts have reportedly tested a new maintenance robot on the Tiangong space station. The test, conducted as part of the current Shenzhou-19 mission, is allegedly designed to maintain critical pipework onboard the station.
In China’s first-of-its-kind in-orbit test, the robot demonstrated that it could operate effectively in extreme space environments. According to reports, the test was conducted in January of this year and went according to plan.
Astronauts put the robot through its paces onboard Tiangong in a series of simulated pipework. “During the test, the robot smoothly and reliably passed through straight pipes, curved pipes, and tapered pipes of various diameters,” the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) is reported as saying.
Given the complex nature of the space station, installed pipework comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Specifically, pipework ranges widely in diameter, with sudden changes in pipework bore being the norm.
Adaptable and autonomous
For this reason, designing a robot that can adapt has proven difficult until now, and there is a high chance of it getting stuck. To this end, the robot’s developers turned to hydraulic tube feet that marine animals such as starfish use to move.
This setup enables the robot, so it is reported, to be both flexible and adaptable, allowing it to react and adapt to situations on the fly. The robot also has a whole suite of body sensors that help it constantly analyze its surroundings.
This, coupled with the robot’s ability to extend and contract autonomously under force to maintain pressure with the pipe wall, allows the robot’s legs to adjust as the pipe diameter changes.
“It adjusts the position, speed, and force output of all joints in the whole body to enable the robot to move smoothly in the space station pipeline,” the agency added.
The successful test reportedly verified key technologies and demonstrated the robot’s ability to autonomously adapt and move safely in the space station’s complex pipeline environment. It also provided valuable data for future practical applications.
The robot also has a special safety feature that enables it to be extracted from pipework in an emergency. According to reports, the Shenzhou-19 crew reported that this worked as anticipated.
The robot performed as expected
According to the CMSA, the pipe inspection robot also features a modularized design, with two heads and two tails symmetrically located at the front and back. It also has 23 degrees of freedom and is equipped with various sensors, such as position and force.
All testing was also monitored by Earthbound personnel in real-time, who could analyze data gathered during the tests.
This most recent experiment is one of several conducted by the Shenzhou-19 astronauts since their arrival in Tiangong on October 30. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), other tests include the world’s first in-orbit test of artificial photosynthesis technology.
That particular test was conducted to test the viability of creating oxygen for life support or use in rocket fuel production.