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Planetary RObots Deployed for Assembly and Construction Tasks

Project description

Multi-robot cooperation in on-the-moon construction

Exploring space requires a lot of resources. Prolonged exploration hinges on a safe base to meet the needs of survival and to conduct scientific testing. Taking everything we need with us is not only expensive but very risky. To solve the problem of resources in space, the EU-funded PRO-ACT project foresees multi-robot cooperation to support future human space activities on the moon. Specifically, it will develop and demonstrate cooperation and manipulation capabilities between three robots for in situ resource utilisation. By testing for conditions that are like those on the moon, it will build on the results of other project outcomes.

Objective

The proposal addresses the establishment, with the support of mobile robotic platforms, of a precursor lunar base with essential capabilities in preparation to commercial exploitation of in-situ resources by assembling an ISRU resource extraction and utilization system will be essential for the establishment of future human settlement. It will in particular include the extraction of oxygen from regolith to serve as oxidizer for fuel and for artificial atmosphere generation within habitats, and 3D printing of relevant structures using regolith (with or without adjuvant, depending on printing strategy) for construction purpose – e.g. tiles for landing pad and roads, panels for berms, elements for shelters.
The primary objective of PRO-ACT is to implement and demonstrate multi-robot cooperation capabilities in a moon construction context, relying on, extending and integrating the outcomes of OG1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Accordingly PRO-ACT will:
- Review, extend and integrate ESROCOS, ERGO, InFuse, I3DS and SIROM outcomes as part of a comprehensive multi-robot system, in a meaningful moon construction scenario.
- Develop robust multi-robot cooperation capabilities allowing joint interventions (including navigation in close vicinity and joint manipulation actions) in mixed structured / unstructured environment. Make the capabilities available within a CREW module, integrated along with ERGO, InFuse and ESROCOS.
- Perform the customization of existing mobile robotic platforms and prepare facilities (moon analogue) for performing tests and demonstrations in a selection of relevant, partially representative scenarios of moon construction activities in relation to (1) ISRU capabilities establishment and (2) preparing dust mitigation surfaces (3) assembling and deploying a gantry/3D printer. As a baseline, TRL 4 to 5 is aimed at (depending on scenarios subparts).
- Perform needed tests and demonstrations in Lunar analogues to validate the newly developed capabilities.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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RIA - Research and Innovation action

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-SPACE-2018-2020

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Coordinator

SPACE APPLICATIONS SERVICES NV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 741 500,00
Address
LEUVENSESTEENWEG 325
1932 Zaventem
Belgium

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Halle-Vilvoorde
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 741 500,00

Participants (10)

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