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Rhizome 2.0: Scaling-up Capability of Human-Robot Interaction Supported Approaches for Robotically 3D-printing Extraterrestrial Habitats

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Objective: 3D printed habitat on Mars

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ESA wants to land humans on Mars by 2040

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Objective: 3D printed habitat on Mars

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Focus:

1. Geopolymer Concrete from Martian Volcanic Ash

2. 3D-printing Voronoi based building components with integrated ventilation, cables, pipes

3. Human Robot Interaction for Robotic assembly of the building

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Simplified habitat design for development

Floorplan generator

  • Spaces are generated based on connectivity
  • M2 specification
  • Simulation is informed by terrain obstacles
  • Many spaces can be simulated

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LSS requirements

How much water, oxygen, food, (…) does each astronaut need to survive?

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Requirements based on Literature review:

  • Mars Life Support Systems by Donald Rapp (2006)
  • Life Support for a Low-Cost Lunar Settlement: No Showstoppers Lynn D. Harper et al (2016)

Requirements per person for:

  • Water, oxygen, food, c02, waste production, etc.

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Life Support System (LSS)

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Oxygen generation

C02 removal

Water recycling

Ventilation

Heating

Cooling

(…)

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How can the Life Support System be integrated in the habitat?

What equipment is needed for this?

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Equipment

What technical systems are needed to treat the air?

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Air treatment systems to integrate in HVAC system inside the technical spaces and

  • Cooling heat exchanger
  • Heating elements
  • Air/dust filters
  • Dehumidifier
  • Sabatier System
  • C02 scrubbing machine
  • (…)

Systems need to be dimensioned and added into the parametric script

Sabatier System, source: NASA

C02 scrubbing, source: NASA

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Integration in building skin:

Integration in building skin:

  • HVAC
  • Data cables
  • Power cables
  • Hot/ cold water tubing
  • Water drainage
  • Sewage
  • Sensors
  • (..)

Technical space:

  • C02 scrubbing
  • 02 generation
  • Water filtration
  • (…)

Redundancy

Maintenance

Ai operated sensor actuators, lighting

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From the technical spaces the pipes and wires travel over the surface. Only the interior building skin is visualized*

The technical spaces are in between the exterior skin that provides the pressure boundary and the interior skin. All cable paths, pipes, etc. are accessible for inspection, maintenance.

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Where do you need ventilation openings, pipes, electricity cables, plumbing, (…)?

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How to simulate the paths of the cables, wires, ventilation, so they are as short and efficient as possible?

Life Support System

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HVAC CFD simulations

How can the air be transported inside of the walls?

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Voronoi system for integrated ductwork (work in progress)

  • Literature review for the sizing of ductwork: Duct System Design Guide by McGill AirFlow Corporation (2003)
  • Parametric duct sizing based on air velocity
  • Simulate air velocity, temperature and pressure
  • Based on the calculated cooling / heating requirements for the spaces
  • Connected to air treatment systems (heating, cooling, C02 scrubbing, dehumidifier, etc.)
  • CFD simulation to simulate air flow, heating and cooling in the habitat

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CFD simulation of a branched integrated ducting, needs to be updated to simulate the heating, cooling and airflow in the entire habitat. (The tube sizing and branching placement in this simulation example still needs to be updated)

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Swarming simulation

  • HVAC path simulation
  • Connect technical space to air intake points
  • HVAC air flow principles
  • Angle limitations, smooth transitions
  • Separate return paths

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Swarming simulation

  • Ventilation channels around stress lines
  • Robotic devices for cleaning and maintenance
    • Angle limitation to 40 degrees so all parts are accessible
  • Minimal diameter is rover size + 20 percent
  • Parts that have a larger airflow can be human size + margin
  • Diameter for airflow
  • Gradual changes in diameter for pressure calculations
  • Branching based on air flow principles
  • Air input is close to the ground
  • Air output is close to the ceiling

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Future steps:

  • 1. Technical Space location + points for air intake location + outtake points location -> dependent on the space usage
  • 2. Swarming Simulation of paths over surfaces (2D test – 3D implementation)
  • 3. Fragment selection
  • 4. Math for diameter calculation based on airflow resistance, geometry
  • 5. Fragment 3D model: Voronoi cells, structural optimisation, air channels, etc.
  • 6. Air flow simulation using CFD -> validation step
  • 7. 3D-Printing @Vertico

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KNN clustering

  • Cluster individual Voronoi cells into stackable components

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Next steps:

  • Hierarchical Structural Optimisation of the components
    • Structural analysis
    • Voronoi subdivision based on stresses

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Layered Assembly

  • The building is divided into horizontal slices
  • Once layer is assembled at a time
  • Ramps are integrated in the habitat design, so the rovers have access to each layer
  • The components are prefabricated off site using ISRU
  • Voronoi based components
  • Rover drives over assembled components

Ramps are integrated in the walls to provide access for assembly

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3. HRI and CV assisted assembly

  • Rhizome 1.0: HRI + pick and place one component

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CV Msc2 workshop

Object identification

  • Detect grabbing vector based on component geometry
  • Google Colab platform
  • Python based

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3. HRI and CV assisted assembly

  • Msc2 workshop: Horizontal stacking

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3. HRI and CV assisted assembly

Next objectives:

  • 5/6 components, horizontal + vertical stacking
  • Collaborative Robot training ✔
  • Literature review: papers HRI
  • Adjust hand grabbing positions, more space for the hand, and grabbable from more angles
  • GitHub repository code, ROS control, connect ROS to grasshopper
  • Fang-Che will develop the 3d models further based on the Voronoi logic

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2. Binders for ISRU Concrete

  • Geopolymers literature review
    • Geopolymer Chemistry and Applications, 5th ed. By Joseph Davidovits
  • Portland cement chemistry / 3d printing / processing conditions literature review
  • Material characterization courses?

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Rover sizing

  • Effects reach ability
  • Payload / maximum component size
  • Minimal / maximum wall thickness

Rover design not part of the research, overall sizes are yet to be determined*

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Exploration - Terrain mapping + CV

  • Terrain mapping during assembly process
  • Effects reach ability visible on terrain, unreachable terrain mapped
  • Needs to be expanded to the assembly process.
  • Check for assembly if the components are within the constraints of the rover, identify unreachable components.
  • Create feedback loops to ensure each component is placeable.

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RO47002 Machine Learning for Robotics

  • Master in Robotics course
  • 1 more assignments (two weeks left) + exam

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Questions