# Orbital AI-based Autonomous Refuelling Solution

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.11648 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.11648/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 15 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Sep 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 15 of 15)

- [Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03385/) (2015)
- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [Going Deeper with Convolutions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1409.4842/) (2014)
- [YOLOv3: An Incremental Improvement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.02767/) (2018)
- [YOLO9000: Better, Faster, Stronger](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.08242/) (2016)
- [Multi-Task Learning Using Uncertainty to Weigh Losses for Scene Geometry and Semantics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.07115/) (2017)
- [On the Continuity of Rotation Representations in Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.07035/) (2018)
- [SqueezeNet: AlexNet-level accuracy with 50x fewer parameters and <0.5MB model size](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1602.07360/) (2016)
- [Cyclical Learning Rates for Training Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1506.01186/) (2015)
- [Satellite Pose Estimation Challenge: Dataset, Competition Design and Results](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.02050/) (2019)
- [Satellite Pose Estimation with Deep Landmark Regression and Nonlinear Pose Refinement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.11542/) (2019)
- [Deep Learning for Spacecraft Pose Estimation from Photorealistic Rendering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.04298/) (2019)
- [Deep Learning-based Spacecraft Relative Navigation Methods: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.08876/) (2021)
- [ChiNet: Deep Recurrent Convolutional Learning for Multimodal Spacecraft Pose Estimation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.10282/) (2021)
- [Robust On-Manifold Optimization for Uncooperative Space Relative Navigation with a Single Camera](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.07110/) (2020)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Cameras are rapidly becoming the choice for on-board sensors towards space rendezvous due to their small form factor and inexpensive power, mass, and volume costs. When it comes to docking, however, they typically serve a secondary role, whereas the main work is done by active sensors such as lidar. This paper documents the development of a proposed AI-based (artificial intelligence) navigation algorithm intending to mature the use of on-board visible wavelength cameras as a main sensor for docking and on-orbit servicing (OOS), reducing the dependency on lidar and greatly reducing costs. Specifically, the use of AI enables the expansion of the relative navigation solution towards multiple classes of scenarios, e.g., in terms of targets or illumination conditions, which would otherwise have to be crafted on a case-by-case manner using classical image processing methods. Multiple convolutional neural network (CNN) backbone architectures are benchmarked on synthetically generated data of docking manoeuvres with the International Space Station (ISS), achieving position and attitude estimates close to 1% range-normalised and 1 deg, respectively. The integration of the solution with a physical prototype of the refuelling mechanism is validated in laboratory using a robotic arm to simulate a berthing procedure.