Space Apps Challenge 2018

Challenge and Problem

One of key problems in space exploration on the last years have its sources from Micrometeorite and orbital debris(MMOD) impacts, causing damages on the thermal protection system(TPS), what require nondestructive evaluation systems and survey to inspect damages on a spacecraft and prevent catastrophic damages.

Currently have been implemented some technologies on that direction like external TV Camera Group, external mounted video inspection, Extra vehicular activities(EVA), all then facing challenges as limited line-of-sight views, limited available EVA crew time, ground controlled imagery survey present low resolution and with significant blind spots.

Frybeem Inspired in nature

We have been inspired by the way bees fly and get around the environment, and between then self's. In that way using the greats advances been done in computer vision, radio communication, AI, machine learning, we get that mix to create a autonomous free-flyer that could behave as a bee flying around a flour to inspect space craft or a satellite and take key information detected by one "bee" and also the others bees in the hive.

Using key data from the NASA technologies based on nature, and all the statistics behind, it would be possible to make this project real, so future and present commercials flights and private initiatives can enjoy a good space travel.

Function, planing the inspection

All units of the Frybeem (Free Flyer Bee Mode) will care on board a little part of the spacecraft to cover, in that way it would be responsible for the acquisition and Analise of the region of interest (ROI) processing, and in case of a suspicious image found it could “land” on a preview established point determined by the route it has to cover, and perform close-range, high-resolution focused inspection of the ROI, so it is possible to validate and confirm the detection, saving time, energy and resources that can be directed to others investigations.

Sensing, the eyes

Each Frybeem unit will have in memory a previous scan of the spacecraft, so that when its making the inspection it cares a 3D Scanner like - ATOS Compact Scan - so as its capturing images it can process the data by comparing it with he original 3D scan of the space craft.

While its moving it can capture images with a camera as - Pixelink PL725 – and transmit to the base on the spacecraft for further analysis on the dashboard of the Frybeem System, where it can train models based on the historical reports from the Frybeem units out space,

This System also communicates periodically with earth to improve the models developed with real data ftom Frybeem system, also would have a opensource platform where it can be developed news way of improving inspection on different spacecraft. It is a web based platform where is available images and data from the Frybeem, based on the chosen Space Station researchers and community can develop and grow the power of the Frybeem

All the struture of the Frybeem will be based on models previously developed on free-flyer inspectors as SPHERES’s project, as part of the sensors: Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, Ultrasonic ranging(to keep it at a safaty distance of the spacecraft,(we don't want Frybeem units to be debris on space)). And others sensors needed for sensing parameter as radiation and temperature.

Resources:

https://www.asnt.org/~/media/Files/Events-Meetings...

https://www.asnt.org/~/media/Files/Events-Meetings...

https://www.asnt.org/~/media/Files/Events-Meetings...

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/vine/wp-content/uploads/s...

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/625714mai...

OTHERS

https://github.com/an-2018/nasa-chalenge