| Popis: |
This paper expands on previous studies by the authors into 3D imaging with a single-beam laser rangefinder (LRF) by implementing real-time attitude maneuvers of a chaser satellite flying in relative orbit around a resident space object (RSO). Point clouds generated with an LRF are much sparser than those generated with an imaging LIDAR, making it difficult to autonomously distinguish between gaps in coverage and truly empty space. Furthermore, if both the attitude and the shape of the target RSO are unknown, it is particularly difficult to register a collection of LRF strike points together and detect gaps in strike point coverage in real-time. This paper presents the incorporation of a narrow field-of-view (NFOV) camera that detects the strike point on the RSO and supplements LRF distance measurements with image data. This data is used to generate attitude command profiles that efficiently fill LRF coverage gaps and generate high density point clouds, thus maximizing coverage of an unknown RSO. Results obtained so far point the way to a real-time implementation of the algorithm. |
