Moscow Aviation Institute has obtained a patent for a robot designed to inspect International Space Station (ISS)

June 3, 2022

Moscow Aviation Institute has obtained a patent for a crawling microrobot-inspector designed for use on the ISS. MAI Professor Andrey Zhukov, Head of the Laboratory of the A. Y. Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Corresponding Member of the RAS Nikolay Bolotnik, and Chief Researcher of the A. Y. Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the RAS, Professor of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Academician of the RAS Felix Chernousko are the inventors.

Andrey Zhukov says that the patent is the basis of a two-part research and education project. First is the creation of the microrobot and its testing on the ISS, which will be completed by inspecting that station's solar panels. Second, it is planned to organize within the project educational programs in robotechnics for students and postgraduates of Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Moscow Power Engineering Institute.

The robot is about 1.5 centimetres in size. Its movement is driven by arc-shaped thermo-mechanical actuators. Thanks to a crack fixation sensor, the robot can identify damage in solar panels and the outer casing, internal cavities and other hard-to-reach areas of the orbital station without involvement of an astronaut. In addition, the robot is supplied with a grabbing device, and can be used for taking micro-samples on extraterrestrial missions.

The invention will also have practical application on Earth: the robot can be used in the interests of Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters for inspection of wreckages in the emergencies. The "Earth" project was awarded a diploma in a Moscow government competition.

Science MAI