A non-linear model predictive controller with obstacle avoidance for a space robot

This study investigates the use of the non-linear model predictive control (NMPC) strategy for a kinematically redundant space robot to approach an un-cooperative target in complex space environment. Collision avoidance, traditionally treated as a high level planning problem, can be effectively translated into control constraints as part of the NMPC. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the predictive controller in a constrained workspace and to investigate the feasibility of imposing additional constraints into the NMPC. In this paper, we reformulated the issue of the space robot motion control by using NMPC with predefined objectives under input, output and obstacle constraints over a receding horizon. An on-line quadratic programming (QP) procedure is employed to obtain the constrained optimal control decisions in real-time. This study has been implemented for a 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) kinematically redundant manipulator mounted on a 6 DOF free-floating spacecraft via simulation studies. Real-time trajectory tracking and collision avoidance particularly demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed NMPC strategy for the space robot.