Experimental verification of the position and attitude control law between two objects using multiple coils

The target of this research is a relative position and attitude control method of re-configurable space structure without reaction wheels (RW) but using magnetic force with multi-dipole system. This technology can be widely applied to docking phase of such space structures that can architect large structure, such like SSPS for example, which restructuring themselves by assembling basic structural units. Such docking technology can be one of the key technologies as "autonomous rendezvous and docking" which is advocated in NASA's strategic plan. One remarkable benefit of this system is that this doesn't limit mission term because it never requires any types of fuel, while the RW needs thruster to release the accumulated angular momentum. Using Thruster means that this system needs fuel and limits the life of the system due to this point. Another benefit is that the torque generated from the magnetic moment can control position and attitude at a time and it can realize independent control on each axis including rotation. Therefore authors have focused on current control of dipoles which produce strong nonlinear magnetic forces and proposed a way of control to the strong nonlinear electromagnetic system Feasibility of this method and controllability had been investigated, then the series of position and attitude control simulation in 3D which enables a relative position and attitude control by using only magnetic force with multi-dipole system were shown in our previous study. Here in this paper, experimental verification of our control method are carried out to see if the magnet forces can works out the correction of position and attitude at a time as calculated manner, then good agreement of both are obtained and verified the efficiency of our proposing control law.