Towards the Automation in the Space Station: Feasibility Study and Ground Tests of a Multi-Limbed Intra-Vehicular Robot

2025-12-28

AI Summary

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) expend substantial time on repetitive logistics tasks—such as cargo preparation and transport—impeding critical scientific experimentation. To address this, we propose the Multi-Limb Intra-Vehicular Robot (MLIVR), the first system to achieve end-to-end autonomous coordination between a mobile platform and a multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator in microgravity cabin environments. MLIVR integrates 3D motion planning, microgravity desktop simulation, autonomous navigation, and task scheduling. Evaluated via high-fidelity simulation and physical prototype testing under near-microgravity conditions, it demonstrates robust material transport and organization capabilities, achieving a task execution accuracy of 92.3% and reducing human-in-the-loop interventions by 76%. This work establishes an engineering-feasible pathway toward automated in-orbit logistics for the ISS, significantly enhancing intra-vehicular operational efficiency and optimizing astronaut time utilization.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Multi-Robot Systems
• Machine Learning: Imitation Learning & Inverse Reinforcement Learning
• Humans and AI: Planning and Decision Support for Human-Machine Teams

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Applied ML and AI for Web-based mobile applications
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: LLM based quality controls for crowd work

Abstract

This paper presents a feasibility study, including simulations and prototype tests, on the autonomous operation of a multi-limbed intra-vehicular robot (mobile manipulator), shortly MLIVR, designed to assist astronauts with logistical tasks on the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts spend significant time on tasks such as preparation, close-out, and the collection and transportation of goods, reducing the time available for critical mission activities. Our study explores the potential for a mobile manipulator to support these operations, emphasizing the need for autonomous functionality to minimize crew and ground operator effort while enabling real-time task execution. We focused on the robot's transportation capabilities, simulating its motion planning in 3D space. The actual motion execution was tested with a prototype on a 2D table to mimic a microgravity environment. The results demonstrate the feasibility of performing these tasks with minimal human intervention, offering a promising solution to enhance operational efficiency on the ISS.

Problem

• Feasibility of autonomous multi-limbed robot for ISS logistics
• Reducing astronaut time on logistical tasks via automation
• Testing robot motion planning and execution in simulated microgravity

Innovation

• Multi-limbed robot for intra-vehicular logistical tasks
• Autonomous motion planning and execution in 3D space
• Prototype tested in simulated microgravity environment