Visual Servoing for Robotic On-Orbit Servicing: A Survey
It addresses the need for precise robotic capabilities in space operations, but is incremental as it synthesizes existing methods without introducing new techniques.
This survey reviews Visual Servoing (VS) approaches for autonomous robotic on-orbit servicing (OOS), categorizing them by mission phases such as recognition, approach, and contact, and discusses trends, challenges, and future research directions.
On-orbit servicing (OOS) activities will power the next big step for sustainable exploration and commercialization of space. Developing robotic capabilities for autonomous OOS operations is a priority for the space industry. Visual Servoing (VS) enables robots to achieve the precise manoeuvres needed for critical OOS missions by utilizing visual information for motion control. This article presents an overview of existing VS approaches for autonomous OOS operations with space manipulator systems (SMS). We divide the approaches according to their contribution to the typical phases of a robotic OOS mission: a) Recognition, b) Approach, and c) Contact. We also present a discussion on the reviewed VS approaches, identifying current trends. Finally, we highlight the challenges and areas for future research on VS techniques for robotic OOS.