Impedance control of multi-arm space robot for the capture of non-cooperative targets

Robotic systems are expected to play an increasingly important role in future space activities. The robotic on-orbital service, whose key is the capturing technology, becomes a research hot spot in recent years. This paper studies the dynamics modeling and impedance control of a multi-arm free-flying space robotic system capturing a non-cooperative target. Firstly, a control-oriented dynamics model is essential in control algorithm design and code realization. Unlike a numerical algorithm, an analytical approach is suggested. Using a general and a quasi-coordinate Lagrangian formulation, the kinematics and dynamics equations are derived.Then, an impedance control algorithm is developed which allows coordinated control of the multiple manipulators to capture a target.Through enforcing a reference impedance, end-effectors behave like a mass-damper-spring system fixed in inertial space in reaction to any contact force between the capture hands and the target. Meanwhile, the position and the attitude of the base are maintained stably by using gas jet thrusters to work against the manipulators' reaction. Finally, a simulation by using a space robot with two manipulators and a free-floating non-cooperative target is illustrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Sequential quadratic programming-based non-cooperative target distributed hybrid processing optimization method

The distributed hybrid processing optimization problem of non-cooperative targets is an important research direction for future networked air-defense and anti-missile firepower systems. In this paper, the air-defense anti-missile targets defense problem is abstracted as a nonconvex constrained combinatorial optimization problem with the optimization objective of maximizing the degree of contribution of the processing scheme to non-cooperative targets, and the constraints mainly consider geographical conditions and anti-missile equipment resources. The grid discretization concept is used to partition the defense area into network nodes, and the overall defense strategy scheme is described as a nonlinear programming problem to solve the minimum defense cost within the maximum defense capability of the defense system network. In the solution of the minimum defense cost problem, the processing scheme, equipment coverage capability, constraints and node cost requirements are characterized, then a nonlinear mathematical model of the non-cooperative target distributed hybrid processing optimization problem is established, and a local optimal solution based on the sequential quadratic programming algorithm is constructed, and the optimal firepower processing scheme is given by using the sequential quadratic programming method containing non-convex quadratic equations and inequality constraints. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation examples.

Design of a Flexible Capture Mechanism Inspired by Sea Anemone for Non-cooperative Targets

Robotic grippers have been used in industry as end-effectors but are usually limited to operations in pre-defined workspace.However,few devices can capture irregularly shaped dynamic targets in space,underwater and other unstructured environments.In this paper,a novel continuum arm group mechanism inspired by the morphology and motions of sea anemones is proposed.It is able to dissipate and absorb the kinetic energy of a fast moving target in omni-direction and utilize multiple arms to wrap and lock the target without accurate positioning control.Wire-driven actuation systems are implemented in the individual continuum arms,achieving both bending motion and stiffness regulation.Through finite element method,the influence of different configurations of the continuum arm group on the capture performance is analyzed.A robotic prototype is constructed and tested,showing the presented arm group mechanism has high adaptability to capture targets with different sizes,shapes,and incident angles.

Non-cooperative target pose estimation based on improved iterative closest point algorithm

For localisation of unknown non-cooperative targets in space,the existence of interference points causes inaccuracy of pose estimation while utilizing point cloud registration.To address this issue,this paper proposes a new iterative closest point(ICP)algorithm combined with distributed weights to intensify the dependability and robustness of the non-cooperative target localisation.As interference points in space have not yet been extensively studied,we classify them into two broad categories,far interference points and near interference points.For the former,the statistical outlier elimination algorithm is employed.For the latter,the Gaussian distributed weights,simultaneously valuing with the variation of the Euclidean distance from each point to the centroid,are commingled to the traditional ICP algorithm.In each iteration,the weight matrix W in connection with the overall localisation is obtained,and the singular value decomposition is adopted to accomplish high-precision estimation of the target pose.Finally,the experiments are implemented by shooting the satellite model and setting the position of interference points.The outcomes suggest that the proposed algorithm can effectively suppress interference points and enhance the accuracy of non-cooperative target pose estimation.When the interference point number reaches about 700,the average error of angle is superior to 0.88°.

Design of a Non-cooperative Target Capture Mechanism

A passive compliant non-cooperative target capture mechanism is designed to maintain the non-cooperative target on-orbit. When the relative position between capture mechanism and satellite is confirmed,a pair of four-bar linkages lock the docking ring,which is used for connecting the satellite and the rocket. The mathematical model of capture mechanism and capture space is built by the Denavit-Hartenberg(D-H)method,and the torque of each joint is analyzed by the Lagrange dynamic equation. Besides,the capture condition and the torque of every joint under different capture conditions are analyzed by simulation in MSC. Adams. The results indicate that the mechanism can capture the non-cooperative target satellite in a wide range. During the process of capture,the passive compliant mechanism at the bottom can increase capture space,thereby reducing the difficulty and enhance stability of the capture.

Analytic optimal pose tracking control in close-range proximity operations with a non-cooperative target

This paper investigates an analytical optimal pose tracking control problem for chaser spacecraft during the close-range proximity operations with a non-cooperative space target subject to attitude tumbling and unknown orbital maneuvering.Firstly,the relative translational motion between the orbital target and the chaser spacecraft is described in the Line-of-Sight(LOS)coordinate frame along with attitude quaternion dynamics.Then,based on the coupled 6-Degree of Freedom(DOF)pose dynamic model,an analytical optimal control action consisting of constrained optimal control value,application time and its duration are proposed via exploring the iterative sequential action control algorithm.Meanwhile,the global closed-loop asymptotic stability of the proposed predictive control action is presented and discussed.Compared with traditional proximity control schemes,the highlighting advantages are that the application time and duration of the devised controller is applied discretely in light of the influence of the instantaneous pose configuration on the pose tracking performance with less energy consumptions rather than at each sample time.Finally,three groups of illustrative examples are organized to validate the effectiveness of the proposed analytical optimal pose tracking control scheme.

A grasp planning algorithm under uneven contact point distribution scenario for space non-cooperative target capture

The contact point configuration should be carefully chosen to ensure a stable capture,especially for the non-cooperative target capture mission using multi-armed spacecraft.In this work scenario,the contact points on the base and on the arms are distributed on the opposite side of the target.Otherwise,large forces will be needed.To cope with this problem,an uneven-oriented distribution union criterion is proposed.The union criterion contains a virtual symmetrical criterion and a geometry criterion.The virtual symmetrical contact point criterion is derived from the proof of the force closure principle using computational geometry to ensure a stable grasp,and the geometry criterion is calculated by the volume of the minimum polyhedron formed by the contact points to get a wide-range distribution.To further accelerate the optimization rate and enhance the global search ability,a line array modeling method and a continuous-discrete global search algorithm are proposed.The line array modeling method reduces the workload of calculating the descent direction and the gradient available,while the continuous-discrete global search algorithm reducing the optimization dimension.Then a highly efficient grasping is achieved and the corresponding contact point is calculated.Finally,an exhaustive verification is conducted to numerically analyze the disturbance resistance ability,and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Inertial parameter estimation and control of non-cooperative target with unilateral contact constraint

In this paper, the relative sliding motion between the target and the manipulator’s endeffector is considered and characterized as a unilateral contact constraint. A new possible solution is presented to estimate the inertial parameters of a non-cooperative target while the relative sliding motion exists. First, the detailed analysis of the dynamical model is presented, and a parameterexplicit linear time-varying model is obtained. Then, an extended state observer is constructed based on the new model, which can effectively estimate the unknown inertial parameters of the target when relative sliding motion exists. As the modified reactionless controller requires the knowledge of inertial parameters, a hybrid post-capture control scheme is also established based on the switch law between different controllers. The correctness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm are validated by numerical simulation, which proves a potential framework for the non-cooperative target postcapture operation.

Multilevel analysis of the central-peripheral-target organ pathway:contributing to recovery after peripheral nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury is a common neurological condition that often leads to severe functional limitations and disabilities.Research on the pathogenesis of peripheral nerve injury has focused on pathological changes at individual injury sites,neglecting multilevel pathological analysis of the overall nervous system and target organs.This has led to restrictions on current therapeutic approaches.In this paper,we first summarize the potential mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury from a holistic perspective,covering the central nervous system,peripheral nervous system,and target organs.After peripheral nerve injury,the cortical plasticity of the brain is altered due to damage to and regeneration of peripheral nerves;changes such as neuronal apoptosis and axonal demyelination occur in the spinal cord.The nerve will undergo axonal regeneration,activation of Schwann cells,inflammatory response,and vascular system regeneration at the injury site.Corresponding damage to target organs can occur,including skeletal muscle atrophy and sensory receptor disruption.We then provide a brief review of the research advances in therapeutic approaches to peripheral nerve injury.The main current treatments are conducted passively and include physical factor rehabilitation,pharmacological treatments,cell-based therapies,and physical exercise.However,most treatments only partially address the problem and cannot complete the systematic recovery of the entire central nervous system-peripheral nervous system-target organ pathway.Therefore,we should further explore multilevel treatment options that produce effective,long-lasting results,perhaps requiring a combination of passive(traditional)and active(novel)treatment methods to stimulate rehabilitation at the central-peripheral-target organ levels to achieve better functional recovery.

Lightweight Underwater Target Detection Using YOLOv8 with Multi-Scale Cross-Channel Attention

Underwater target detection is extensively applied in domains such as underwater search and rescue,environmental monitoring,and marine resource surveys.It is crucial in enabling autonomous underwater robot operations and promoting ocean exploration.Nevertheless,low imaging quality,harsh underwater environments,and obscured objects considerably increase the difficulty of detecting underwater targets,making it difficult for current detection methods to achieve optimal performance.In order to enhance underwater object perception and improve target detection precision,we propose a lightweight underwater target detection method using You Only Look Once(YOLO)v8 with multi-scale cross-channel attention(MSCCA),named YOLOv8-UOD.In the proposed multiscale cross-channel attention module,multi-scale attention(MSA)augments the variety of attentional perception by extracting information from innately diverse sensory fields.The cross-channel strategy utilizes RepVGGbased channel shuffling(RCS)and one-shot aggregation(OSA)to rearrange feature map channels according to specific rules.It aggregates all features only once in the final feature mapping,resulting in the extraction of more comprehensive and valuable feature information.The experimental results show that the proposed YOLOv8-UOD achieves a mAP50 of 95.67%and FLOPs of 23.8 G on the Underwater Robot Picking Contest 2017(URPC2017)dataset,outperforming other methods in terms of detection precision and computational cost-efficiency.

Research advancements in nanoparticles and cell-based drug delivery systems for the targeted killing of cancer cells

Nanotechnology in cancer therapy has significantly advanced treatment precision,effectiveness,and safety,improving patient outcomes and personalized care.Engineered smart nanoparticles and cell-based therapies are designed to target tumor cells,precisely sensing the tumor microenvironment(TME)and sparing normal cells.These nanoparticles enhance drug accumulation in tumors by solubilizing insoluble compounds or preventing their degradation,and they can also overcome therapy resistance and deliver multiple drugs simultaneously.Despite these benefits,challenges remain in patient-specific responses and regulatory approvals for cell-based or nanoparticle therapies.Cell-based drug delivery systems(DDSs)that primarily utilize the immune-recognition principle between ligands and receptors have shown promise in selectively targeting and destroying cancer cells.This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various nanoparticle and cell-based drug delivery system types used in cancer research.It covers approved and experimental nanoparticle therapies,including liposomes,micelles,protein-based and polymeric nanoparticles,as well as cell-based DDSs like macrophages,T-lymphocytes,dendritic cells,viruses,bacterial ghosts,minicells,SimCells,and outer membrane vesicles(OMVs).The review also explains the role of TME and its impact on developing smart DDSs in combination therapies and integrating nanoparticles with cell-based systems for targeting cancer cells.By detailing DDSs at different stages of development,from laboratory research to clinical trials and approved treatments,this review provides the latest insights and a collection of valuable citations of the innovative strategies that can be improved for the precise treatment of cancer.

HNRNPC as a pan-cancer biomarker and therapeutic target involved in tumor progression and immune regulation

Background:Aberrant expression of RNA-binding proteins(RBPs)has been linked to a variety of diseases,including hematological disorders,cardiovascular diseases,and multiple types of cancer.Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C(HNRNPC),a member belonging to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein(hnRNP)family,plays a pivotal role in nucleic acid metabolism.Previous studies have underscored the significance of HNRNPC in tumorigenesis;however,its specific role in malignant tumor progression remains inadequately characterized.Methods:We leveraged publicly available databases,including The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),to explore the potential involvement of HNRNPC across various cancers.Additionally,we performed experimental validation studies focused on liver cancer.Results:Our analysis revealed that HNRNPC is overexpressed in a wide range of common malignancies,including liver and lung cancers,and is strongly linked to unfavorable outcomes.Furthermore,HNRNPC was observed to be closely linked to tumor immunity.Through immune checkpoint analysis and immune cell infiltration assessment,HNRNPC emerged as a potential target for modulating tumor immunotherapy.Notably,silencing of HNRNPC markedly inhibited the proliferation,metastasis,and infiltration of liver cancer cells.Conclusion:In summary,our findings highlight HNRNPC as a prognostic marker in various cancers,including liver cancer,and suggest its involvement in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment.These insights offer potential avenues for improving clinical outcomes in tumors with elevated HNRNPC expression,particularly through immunotherapeutic strategies.

Pyroptosis,ferroptosis,and autophagy in spinal cord injury:regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets

Regulated cell death is a form of cell death that is actively controlled by biomolecules.Several studies have shown that regulated cell death plays a key role after spinal cord injury.Pyroptosis and ferroptosis are newly discovered types of regulated cell deaths that have been shown to exacerbate inflammation and lead to cell death in damaged spinal cords.Autophagy,a complex form of cell death that is interconnected with various regulated cell death mechanisms,has garnered significant attention in the study of spinal cord injury.This injury triggers not only cell death but also cellular survival responses.Multiple signaling pathways play pivotal roles in influencing the processes of both deterioration and repair in spinal cord injury by regulating pyroptosis,ferroptosis,and autophagy.Therefore,this review aims to comprehensively examine the mechanisms underlying regulated cell deaths,the signaling pathways that modulate these mechanisms,and the potential therapeutic targets for spinal cord injury.Our analysis suggests that targeting the common regulatory signaling pathways of different regulated cell deaths could be a promising strategy to promote cell survival and enhance the repair of spinal cord injury.Moreover,a holistic approach that incorporates multiple regulated cell deaths and their regulatory pathways presents a promising multi-target therapeutic strategy for the management of spinal cord injury.

Targeting capabilities of engineered extracellular vesicles for the treatment of neurological diseases

Recent advances in research on extracellular vesicles have significantly enhanced their potential as therapeutic agents for neurological diseases.Owing to their therapeutic properties and ability to cross the blood–brain barrier,extracellular vesicles are recognized as promising drug delivery vehicles for various neurological conditions,including ischemic stroke,traumatic brain injury,neurodegenerative diseases,glioma,and psychosis.However,the clinical application of natural extracellular vesicles is hindered by their limited targeting ability and short clearance from the body.To address these limitations,multiple engineering strategies have been developed to enhance the targeting capabilities of extracellular vesicles,thereby enabling the delivery of therapeutic contents to specific tissues or cells.Therefore,this review aims to highlight the latest advancements in natural and targeting-engineered extracellular vesicles,exploring their applications in treating traumatic brain injury,ischemic stroke,Parkinson's disease,Alzheimer's disease,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,glioma,and psychosis.Additionally,we summarized recent clinical trials involving extracellular vesicles and discussed the challenges and future prospects of using targeting-engineered extracellular vesicles for drug delivery in treating neurological diseases.This review offers new insights for developing highly targeted therapies in this field.

Subretinal fibrosis secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration:mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets

Subretinal fibrosis is the end-stage sequelae of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.It causes local damage to photoreceptors,retinal pigment epithelium,and choroidal vessels,which leads to permanent central vision loss of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.The pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis is complex,and the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown.Therefore,there are no effective treatment options.A thorough understanding of the pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis and its related mechanisms is important to elucidate its complications and explore potential treatments.The current article reviews several aspects of subretinal fibrosis,including the current understanding on the relationship between neovascular age-related macular degeneration and subretinal fibrosis;multimodal imaging techniques for subretinal fibrosis;animal models for studying subretinal fibrosis;cellular and non-cellular constituents of subretinal fibrosis;pathophysiological mechanisms involved in subretinal fibrosis,such as aging,infiltration of macrophages,different sources of mesenchymal transition to myofibroblast,and activation of complement system and immune cells;and several key molecules and signaling pathways participating in the pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis,such as vascular endothelial growth factor,connective tissue growth factor,fibroblast growth factor 2,platelet-derived growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β,transforming growth factor-βsignaling pathway,Wnt signaling pathway,and the axis of heat shock protein 70-Toll-like receptors 2/4-interleukin-10.This review will improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis,allow the discovery of molecular targets,and explore potential treatments for the management of subretinal fibrosis.

Passive Target Tracking in Non-cooperative Radar System Based on Particle Filtering

We propose a target tracking method based on particle filtering(PF) to solve the nonlinear non-Gaussian target-tracking problem in the bistatic radar systems using external radiation sources. Traditional nonlinear state estimation method is extended Kalman filtering (EKF), which is to do the first level Taylor series extension. It will cause an inaccuracy or even a scatter estimation result on condition that there is either a highly nonlinear target or a large noise square-error. Besides, Kalman filtering is the optimal resolution under a Gaussian noise assumption, and is not suitable to the non-Gaussian condition. PF is a sort of statistic filtering based on Monte Carlo simulation that is using some random samples (particles) to simulate the posterior probability density of system random variables. This method can be used in any nonlinear random system. It can be concluded through simulation that PF can achieve higher accuracy than the traditional EKF.

A Method to Obtain the Moving Speed of Uncooperative Target Based on Only Two Measurements

The existing research results show that a fixed single station must conduct three consecutive frequency shift measurements and obtain the target’s moving speed by constructing two frequency difference equations. This article proposes a new method that requires only two consecutive measurements. While using the azimuth measurement to obtain the angular difference between two radial distances, it also conducts two consecutive Doppler frequency shift measurements at the same target azimuth. On the basis of this measurement, a frequency difference equation is first constructed and solved jointly with the Doppler frequency shift equation. By eliminating the velocity variable and using the measured angular difference to obtain the target’s lead angle, the target’s velocity can be solved by using the Doppler frequency shift equation again. The new method avoids the condition that the target must move equidistantly, which not only provides an achievable method for engineering applications but also lays a good foundation for further exploring the use of steady-state signals to achieve passive positioning.

Frequency-Hopping Frequency Reconnaissance and Prediction for Non-cooperative Communication Network

The continuous change of communica-tion frequency brings difficulties to the reconnaissance and prediction of non-cooperative communication net-works.Since the frequency-hopping(FH)sequence is usually generated by a certain model with certain regularity,the FH frequency is thus predictable.In this paper,we investigate the FH frequency reconnais-sance and prediction of a non-cooperative communi-cation network by effective FH signal detection,time-frequency(TF)analysis,wavelet detection and fre-quency estimation.With the intercepted massive FH signal data,long short-term memory(LSTM)neural network model is constructed for FH frequency pre-diction.Simulation results show that our parameter es-timation methods could estimate frequency accurately in the presence of certain noise.Moreover,the LSTM-based scheme can effectively predict FH frequency and frequency interval.

A DNN based trajectory optimization method for intercepting non-cooperative maneuvering spacecraft

Current successes in artificial intelligence domain have revitalized interest in neural networks and demonstrated their potential in solving spacecraft trajectory optimization problems. This paper presents a data-free deep neural network(DNN) based trajectory optimization method for intercepting noncooperative maneuvering spacecraft, in a continuous low-thrust scenario. Firstly, the problem is formulated as a standard constrained optimization problem through differential game theory and minimax principle. Secondly, a new DNN is designed to integrate interception dynamic model into the network and involve it in the process of gradient descent, which makes the network endowed with the knowledge of physical constraints and reduces the learning burden of the network. Thus, a DNN based method is proposed, which completely eliminates the demand of training datasets and improves the generalization capacity. Finally, numerical results demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our proposed method.

Non-linear Dynamics Method to Angles-Only Navigation for Non-cooperative Rendezvous of Spacecraft

Aiming at the problem of relative navigation for non-cooperative rendezvous of spacecraft,this paper proposes a new angles-only navigation architecture using non-linear dynamics method. This method does not solve the problem of poor observability of angles-only navigation through orbital or attitude maneuvering,but improves the observability of angles-only navigation through capturing the non-linearity of the system in the evolution of relative motion. First,three relative dynamics models and their corresponding line-of-sight(LoS)measurement equations are introduced,including the rectilinear state relative dynamics model,the curvilinear state relative dynamics model,and the relative orbital elements(ROE)state relative dynamics model. Then,an observability analysis theory based on the Gramian matrix is introduced to determine which relative dynamics model could maximize the observability of angles-only navigation. Next,an adaptive extended Kalman filtering scheme is proposed to solve the problem that the angles-only navigation filter using the non-linear dynamics method is sensitive to measurement noises. Finally,the performances of the proposed angles-only navigation architecture are tested by means of numerical simulations,which demonstrates that the angles-only navigation filtering scheme without orbital or attitude maneuvering is completely feasible through improving the modeling of the relative dynamics and LoS measurement equations.