GALAGO

underactuated robot for planetary exploration

GALAGO team: . Winiewski1,2, J. Grygorczuk1,2, D. Mege2,3, J. Gurgurewicz4,2, G. Thornell8, J. Peltoniemi9, M. Gritsevich9, P. Wclewski10
PROSPECT team: B. Kdziora1, T. Kuciski1, M. Getka 1, J. Grygorczuk1, J. Chrobrowski1, P. Miara1
HP3 team (Hammering Mechanism): J. Grygorczuk1,2, . Winiewski1,2, B. Kdziora1, M. Borys1, R. Przybya2, T. Kuciski1, M. Ossowski5, W. Konior1,2,
O.Krmer6, T. Spohn7, M. Tokarz1, M. Biaek2, . Bere1, E. Ryszawa1, J. Demming1, J. Chrobrowski1, S. Jarzynka1
1 Astronika
Sp. z o.o., Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warszawa, Poland, lwisniewski@astronika.pl, 2 Space Research Centre PAN, Warszawa, Poland, 3 Laboratoire de plantologie et godynamique, Universit de Nantes,
UMR CNRS 6112, France, 4 Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocaw, Poland, 5 Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw, Poland,
6 German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Space Systems, Bremen, Germany, 7 German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany, 8 ngstrm Space Technology Centre,

Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 9 Finnish Geospatial Research Institute/National Land Survey, Masala, Finland, 10 independent co-author

GALAGO Highland Terrain Hopper

In cooperation with CBK PAN (SRC PAS) and ING PAN (IGS PAS)
Astronika develops a cutting-edge Highland Terrain Hopper (GALAGO also
refered as HOPTER) as a novel exploration platform for exceptional
mobility on celestial bodies with low- and micro-gravity (Mars, moons,
asteroids). Astronika proposed an original system architecture of a hopping
robot capable of traversing undulated terrain with obstacles much higher
than the robot itself where conventional rovers and landers can no longer
Actuating
operate.
mechanism
(individual for
each leg)
Technical requirements and features:
Upside-down symmetry;
Low position of center of mass;
Three independent and dust-free actuating legs, providing also impact
dumping properties and payload protection;
Mass: max. 8kg -10kg (including payload);
Diameter of the central disc: max. 40cm 50cm;
Instruments on-board GALAGO(s) for science, navigation
Max. energy (many energy levels): 100J - 120J (for total of three
and robot cooperation [1]
actuation legs)
Power (internal battery + solar panels) up to few thousand jumps
Up: Overview of GALAGO Possible jumps in laboratory model: 1.5m on Earth (4m on Mars, 9m on
Left: GALAGO in armed position, Right: actuated leg mechanism Moon, Phobos - unlimited);
Scalability to lower gravity bodies and smaller sizes are possible;
Up to three scientific instruments + control unit
Platform can meet requirements of many currently planned missions as well
as conceptual ones. This solution can substitute complicated approaches,
considering relatively small cost, mission risk could be mitigated by
sending several robots. Proposed solution is also well scalable - could be
miniaturized and used as additional payload for many modern missions
using small spacecraft simply dropped on low-gravity bodies.
Range of possible applications includes but is not limited to:
resources prospecting - mapping of large terrain
all-terrain science exploration:
mobility over terrain not accessible for rovers - undulations, loose GALAGOs basic displacement strategies [1]
terrain, slopes
Simulated hopping sequence and navigation of GALAGO
caves / underground voids (e.g. dropped through surface hole w/o Acknowledgments: analysis and simulation of the
Project partners: need of any additional support system - cables etc.) GALAGO is done under CBK PAN National Science
fine mobility as well as large terrain coverage Centre (NCN) grant awarded on the basis of
mapping / profiling of large terrain by several cooperating robots decision number DEC-2012/07/N/ST7/03111

Other Astronika projects related to planetary space exploration:

PROSPECT Hammering Mechanism
development of percusion drive for dilling mechanisms for HP3 experiment (InSight/ NASA)
Percussion
module
Lunar
Drill
Carbon
fiber rod
transferring
sroke
energy Heat Flow and
Physical
through drill Properties
Package (HP3)

Credit: NASA/JPL
Hammering
Credit: Roskosmos head Launch Lock FS model of HM Location of HM on the InSight lander
Lunar Drill tool on the lander Percussion module Stroke energy transfer set-up Between 2014 and 2016, Astronika developed a Hammering Mechanism (HM) for the HP3
mole type penetrator the drive unit of DLRs heat probe instrument for NASAs InSight
The main objective of the Russian-led Luna-Resurs (Luna-27) is to examine the distribution of mission to be launched in 2018. The Hammering Mechanism is a drive system of the HP3
volatiles across the Moons surface and subsurface. Within the scope of this mission, ESA penetrator whose purpose is to transport thermal sensors more than the required three
proposed the Lunar Drill Development activity. meters below Martian surface (5 meters being the desired depth).
The activity was undertaken by a European consortium led by SELEX-ES (now Finmeccanica) Astronikas original contribution to the project is a number of significant modifications introduced
of Italy, and its goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of accessing, acquiring and extracting to the design which improved the efficiency and functionality of the system, including:
subsurface samples from the depth of up to 2m for the selected design concept. design for ultra-high loads (up to 10 000g) with survivability above 45 000 strokes; stroke
For the target Lunar Polar application, the Lunar Drill will be equipped with a torsional drive as energy increase through system optimization; significant efficiency improvement, by the
well as a percussion module which will impart an axial force enhancing the conventional implementation of customized bearings and dedicated tribological surfaces (in cooperation
drilling process. with the Warsaw University of Technology), such as MoS2 sputtering on TiN or Tungsten or lead
The torsional drive and the drill with the sampling mechanism are Finmeccanicas contribution to deposition on TiN; internal multiple use launch lock design which allows for unlimited test
the project. Astronikas contribution in the project is to design and prepare the test models for performance without the need for disassembly of the whole penetrator to arm it again.
Lunar Drills percussion module. HM design was presented on Aerospace Mechanism Syposium in 2016 [2].
References:
[1] D. Mege et al. The Highland Terrain Hopper (HOPTER): Concept and use cases of a new locomotion system for the exploration of low gravity Solar System bodies; Acta Astronautica, vol. 121, pp. 200-220. 2016
[2] J. Grygorczuk et al.: Hammering Mechanism for HP3 experiment (InSight). In the Proceedings of Aerospace Mechanism Symposium, Santa Clara, USA. May 2016.

2nd PERASPERA workshop, 27-29 November 2016, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain