NRI-SMALL: LONG THIN CONTINUUM ROBOTS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS WE PROPOSE FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH INTO RADICALLY NEW TYPES OF VERY LONG THIN CONTINUOUSBACKBONE CONTINUUM ROBOTS. THE LENGTH OF THESE ROBOTS (AT THE SCALE OF METERS) WILL BE ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE LARGER THAN THEIR DIAMETERS (AT THE SCALE OF MILLIMETERS) REQUIRING COMPLETELY NEW ADVANCES IN BOTH DESIGN AND OPERATION. THE ROBOTS WILL BE INHERENTLY COMPLIANT ENABLING CLOSE INTERACTION AND COLLABORATION WITH PEOPLE. THE RESEARCH IS TARGETED SPECIFICALLY AT NASA S PRIORITIES: HOWEVER THE RESULTING ROBOTS HAVE APPLICATION IN NUMEROUS IMPORTANT TERRESTRIAL ARENAS SUCH AS HOMELAND SECURITY FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. NASA S NEEDS FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INCLUDE INSPECTION (OF SPACE VEHICLES OF PAYLOADS IN TIGHT SPACES BENEATH THERMAL BLANKETS) REMOTE EXPLORATION (DEEP WITHIN CREVASSES) AND ROBUST MANIPULATION. SPIN-OFF APPLICATIONS ON PLANET EARTH INCLUDE REMOTE INSPECTION AND INTERROGATION OF SUSPICIOUS AND/OR HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS AS WELL AS NOVEL MODES OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION. WE PROPOSE AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH INVOLVING THE ANALYSIS MODELING CONSTRUCTION AND DEMONSTRATION AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY AND THE NASA/JOHNSON SPACE CENTER OF SEVERAL DESIGN ALTERNATIVES. ALL HARDWARE SOFTWARE ALGORITHMS AND DATA PRODUCED IN THIS PROJECT (BOTH FOR OFF-LINE ANALYSIS AND REAL-TIME OPERATION OF THE ROBOTS) WILL BE CAREFULLY ARCHIVED AND MADE AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. IN THIS PROJECT THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE SOFTWARE ROBOTICS AND SIMULATION DIVISION AT THE NASA/JOHNSON SPACE CENTER. THE TWO GROUPS HAVE COLLABORATED PREVIOUSLY ON MODELING AND CONTROL OF CONTINUUM ROBOT HARDWARE UNDER NASA SEED FUNDING. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH EXPLOITS KEY UNDERSTANDING GAINED IN THE EARLIER EXPLORATORY COLLABORATIVE WORK ENABLING FUNDAMENTALLY NEW RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN THIS LONGER DURATION AND WIDER SCOPE NRI PROJECT.