SCAMP

The Secondary Camera And Maneuvering Platform (SCAMP) is a 26 sided underwater vehicle. It uses a set of six bi-directional thrusters to make it capable of moving and spinning in any direction. It has an onboard IMU sensor package for closed loop attitude control. The VPS system allows for closed loop position control. An onboard camera allows SCAMP to view the world in front of it in full color. While SCAMP has an onboard computer that can fully control the vehicle, a fiber optic tether is required for the vehicle to communicate with the surface.

SCAMP was originally designed to be remotely piloted by a human allowing the inspection of vehicles and structures with its onboard camera. With the addition of the VPS system, SCAMP has also been used to study a variety of spacecraft control systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous flight. It is currently being refitted and reprogrammed to autonomously rendezvous and dock with simulated satellites. 

Project Advisor: Dr. Rob Sanner

Lead Graduate Student: Joseph Gland

Acknowledgements: The Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking project is under development at the University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory, part of the Aerospace Engineering Department and the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Funding is provided by a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.