Title: Geometric Modeling, Control, and Estimation of Hybrid Rigid-Continuum Space Manipulators

Date: Thursday November 19, 2026

Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST

Location: Remote

Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2327470462272752?p=e6lw2qUsvCu9SJS4C8

Lorenzo Ticozzi

Robotics PhD candidate

Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee:

Dr. Panagiotis Tsiotras (Advisor) - School of Aerospace Engineering

Dr. Patricio Vela - School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Yue Chen - School of Biomedical Engineering

Dr. Frank Dellaert - School of Interactive Computing

Dr. Yashwanth Nakka - School of Aerospace Engineering

Abstract:

The current shift towards In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) calls for robotic systems that balance maneuvering precision with operational safety, capable of executing high-accuracy tasks while remaining safe in the presence of limited, uncertain information. Conventional rigid manipulators often require complex strategies to interact with fragile, uncooperative targets, while purely continuum robots are limited in payload capacity and maneuvering accuracy. 

This thesis investigates a Hybrid Rigid-Continuum Space Manipulator System that integrates a tendon-driven continuum appendage with a rigid robotic arm to bridge this gap. First, a minimal-order, closed-form dynamic model is derived using the Geometric Variable Strain (GVS) approach, resulting in a computationally efficient formulation of coupled floating-base spacecraft–manipulator dynamics that explicitly accounts for momentum conservation. Then, the proposed model is employed to design nonlinear state feedback controllers achieving stabilization and task-space trajectory-tracking. Next, this thesis develops a novel continuum-robot state estimation approach encoding the closed-form GVS kinematics within a factor graph framework, with improved accuracy and robustness over existing alternatives demonstrated both in simulations and experiments. Finally, we build upon the previous modeling and estimation contributions to present a kinematic framework for the complete state estimation of the space manipulator.