The MoDAC manipulator provides a means to achieve reaction-free actuation of manipulators. The technique is beneficial primarily for microgravity (on-orbit) applications and very low gravity applications (e.g., asteroids and comet surfaces) where reaction torque on the base body is a concern. The development of the MoDAC manipulator is therefore targeted only towards space based applications. The applications mainly include NASA and the Department of Defense's (DoD) space missions. The MoDAC manipulator will be designed specifically for integration on to AFFs being developed by NASA. Millennium will work closely with NASA to assure compliance with AFF specifications and to perform the developmental activities consistent with NASA's goals. However, the concept and the design can be applied to any of NASA's on-orbit robotic applications. As NASA pushes forward on the path to exploration of the Solar System and beyond, the necessity for manually controlled or automated robots is increasing. Example of such applications include sample retrieval from asteroids and planets, asteroid capture, proximity operations, docking, etc. Scaled versions of the MoDAC manipulator can be used for any and all of these applications.
The Department of Defense, specifically, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has goals of protecting, servicing, and extending the life of national space assets using on-orbit robotic servicing missions. The MoDAC manipulator can be used effectively in these missions. The MoDAC manipulator can be used independently or attached to the end of another manipulator to perform precise "end-game" or terminal operations (e.g., final grappling, docking, etc.). The MoDAC manipulator on the AFFs can be used extensively to research algorithms and control strategies for such robotic applications.
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