NASA Contest: Design a Robotic Arm Software Architecture

Status: Closed
Prize: $500
Entries Received: 7
Winner: hinamulani03

Winner

Contest Brief

Design a Robotic Arm Software Architecture (RASA)

In this challenge, you are asked to design the Robotic Arm Software Architecture (RASA) that will autonomously control a separately designed robotic arm. The RASA will receive all high-level commands from Astrobee and implement them autonomously through the robotic arm. Locations and ranges of motion and control modes for all robotic arm motors will be provided, as well as details on the range of information available through existing sensors.

How it works: The RASA’s job is to transform requests from Astrobee into commands to the electronic hardware of the robotic arm. The RASA must include the high level algorithms necessary for the robotic arm to complete three actions:
1) unpacking from Astrobee’s payload bay and attaching to a Handrail at a specified location,
2) orienting Astrobee by panning and tilting, as commanded, and
3) detaching from the Handrail and (re)stowing back into Astrobee’s payload bay.

Click on the links below to see detailed design instructions, constraints and solution templates for this problem.

Challenge rules:
The prize will be awarded for the lowest mass, technically feasible solution, submitted by the contest deadline.
No working prototype is required for submission, but the design must be sufficiently detailed to allow experts to assess the feasibility of your design (i.e., comply with all requirements) and the credibility of your mass estimate.
Only complete submission packages will be evaluated.

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Employer Feedback

“Heena M. developed an innovative design for a robotic arm software architecture for a NASA project. This was a contest and this design was selected from 10 entries as the most efficient code and the most technically feasible design. Heena M. provided a very good design.”

nasacoeci, United States.

Top entries from this contest

TriassicXYZ India

0
MarkBravo1 Mexico

0
pearlcharles United Kingdom

0
fbcouto Brazil

0
sumikanth India

0
hinamulani03 India

0
sumikanth India

0

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Public Clarification Board

Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
Please join us in congratulating Heena M. as the winner for this challenge. Thanks to all of the participants for all of your hard work on this challenge. Sorry for the very long delay in announcing the winner due to the US Government shutdown. The judging panel was very impressed with the submitted designs and the evaluation was quite difficult.
- 5 years ago
Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
Hello all, apologies for the confusion. The awarding of this contest has been postponed due to the government shutdown. When NASA returns, we will reconvene and select a winner. Thank you for your patience with us.
- 5 years ago
1. fbcouto
  - 5 years ago
  Thanks! And good luck with this setback.
  - 5 years ago
sumikanth
- 5 years ago
Gosh - I do hope a winner is selected for this contest. It would be sad to see no one winning at all.
- 5 years ago
1. sumikanth
  - 5 years ago
  Wait - what? The contest is reopened for two days?
  - 5 years ago
2. sumikanth
  - 5 years ago
  Are none of the entries currently satisfactory?
  - 5 years ago
Contest Holder
- 5 years ago
This contest is now closed (sorry for the delay in the initial ratings for completeness). Thank you for all of your hard work on some really great designs. The team will be evaluating the submissions and announce the winners as soon as we can (likely about 1-2 weeks). There are even more launching this month. We look forward to seeing more of this amazing talent! Thanks!
- 5 years ago
1. sumikanth
  - 5 years ago
  Hi - by 'winners' - do you mean that multiple entries may be selected to win the contest?
  - 5 years ago
2. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  We are only planning to award to a single winner but reserve the right to award to multiple.
  - 5 years ago
hinamulani03
- 5 years ago
Please check my entry #6
- 5 years ago
sumikanth
- 5 years ago
Hi - one question. Does it have to be 100% accurate - if there are some small mistakes here and there, do we get a chance to clarify and correct it -or will the entire thing be straight out rejected?
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  We are not sure we understand your question. Your submission's overall accuracy will play a role in the evaluation, but I'm not sure that a single mistake would cause an outright rejection unless it was a significant error that invalidated the proposed design.
  - 5 years ago
sumikanth
- 5 years ago
Also, will you definitely be picking a winner in this contest, or is it possible that you may not select anyone?
- 5 years ago
1. sumikanth
  - 5 years ago
  It seems there are very few entries - which is why I'm curious if a winner will be chosen or if the contest will be even further extended.
  - 5 years ago
2. sumikanth
  - 5 years ago
  (It may be that #guaranteed will assure more entries)
  - 5 years ago
sumikanth
- 5 years ago
One question - which sensor can sense the presence of non-handrail ISS objects? Or is there no such sensor?
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  There are two sensors on the arm, a proximity sensor and a contact sensor for attaching to the ISS Handrail.
  - 5 years ago
sumikanth
- 5 years ago
Hi - It would be really helpful if you told us some details about the 'stowed' configuration. Are all actuators at zero degrees in the stowed configuration, or are they at their minimum value?
- 5 years ago
View 1 more message
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  The stow tool functionality is handled within the Motion Planning software module. Look at C3 and Table 4 for more informatoon.
  - 5 years ago
2. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  The arm motion is handled by the Motion Planning Software module.
  - 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Thanks for the extension :)

Can you explain further what is considered a line o code (LOC), please? For example, do you mean physical or logical LOCs?

I am finding kind of difficult to estimate the number of LOC based only on architecture-level functionality. So I´m basing my estimation on actual code, and it would be helpful to have a more detailed definition.
- 5 years ago
View 1 more message
1. MarkBravo1
  - 5 years ago
  Hi, thanks for your response.
  
  I checked that section previously but seems that no detailed definition is given. The section only asks to: "Include an exact number for the total lines of code" and to explain how you get that number, that´s all. For me, those are indications but not definitions. For example... ¿Are non-executable lines of code included in the estimation? ¿What about using a particular programming language? there may be still open questions, at least for me.
  
  Probably, giving a more detailed definition could help you and your team to evaluate more consistently all the entries too.
  - 5 years ago
2. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  We would like you assess the number of lines of code required to make your RASA Submission functional and justify it. That would include discussing what examples you drew on, what you included in your estimate, etc.
  - 5 years ago
TriassicXYZ
- 5 years ago
Hi, according to R6, The RASA is expected to provide Astrobee with up to date estimates of power and energy usage. But how and when should RASA send this information to Astrobee? Does Astrobee query the RASA to read power values?
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  Please refer to the system architecture diagram and you will see a 100 hz signal being passed to Astrobee for power use.
  - 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Hi again, another question:

When you send the stowTool command to the Motion Planner, does this software controls the A7 actuator too? Or is the RASA responsible for doing it? like during the attach sequence for example

Thanks.
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  The software is in control of the A7 actuator.
  - 5 years ago
MarkBravo1
- 5 years ago
Hi. Just a question:

Seems that no indication is given if a “No Handrail” situation occurs, e.i when the arm is commanded to attach and for some reason, it fails.

Does that mean that the arm always attaches to the handrail successfully, So I don´t have to consider the "No handrail" scenario?

Thanks
- 5 years ago
1. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  The RASA design should be able to handle a situation if there is no handrail present and be able to be commanded to do another activity, such as stow.
  - 5 years ago
fbcouto
- 5 years ago
The challenge rules in the first page must be rewritten according to RASAProblemDescription.pdf. I think it is necessary to inform the length of each element so that the calculations can be made.
- 5 years ago
View 3 more messages
1. fbcouto
  - 5 years ago
  Inside the PDF the right text: Challenge Rules: A prize will be awarded for the most efficient, technically
  feasible design,. Design efficiency will be evaluated based on the lowest, credible
  estimated lines of code for implementing a solution.
  - 5 years ago
2. Contest Holder
  - 5 years ago
  Hi, there was an error with our blurb. The winner will go the terms described in the challenge rules text on most efficient, and technically feasible design.
  - 5 years ago