The energy of a space station is a precious resource, and the minimization of energy consumption of a space manipulator is crucial\r\nto maintain its normal functionalities. This paper first presents novel gaits for space manipulators by equipping a new gripping\r\nmechanism. With the use of wheels locomotion, lower energy demand gaits can be achieved. With the use of the proposed gaits,\r\nwe further develop a global path planning algorithm for space manipulators which can plan a moving path on a space station\r\nwith a minimum total energy demand. Different from existing approaches, we emphasize both the use of the proposed low energy\r\ndemand gaits and the gaits composition during the path planning process. To evaluate the performance of the proposed gaits and\r\npath planning algorithm, numerous simulations are performed. Results show that the energy demand of both the proposed gaits\r\nand the resultant moving path is also minimum.
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