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.

翻译：本文针对一种多肢舱内机器人（移动机械臂），简称MLIVR，在国际空间站（ISS）上协助宇航员执行后勤任务的自主操作进行了可行性研究，包括仿真与原型测试。宇航员在任务准备、收尾以及物资收集与运输等事务上耗费大量时间，从而减少了用于关键任务活动的时间。本研究探索了移动机械臂支持此类操作的潜力，强调其需要具备自主功能，以最大限度地减少乘员与地面操作人员的工作负担，同时实现任务的实时执行。我们重点关注机器人的运输能力，对其在三维空间中的运动规划进行了仿真。实际运动执行则通过原型机在二维平台上进行测试，以模拟微重力环境。结果表明，以最少人工干预完成这些任务是可行的，这为提升国际空间站上的运行效率提供了一个前景广阔的解决方案。