Robotic automation for space: planetary surface exploration, terrain-adaptive mobility, and multirobot cooperative tasks

Paul S. Schenker; Terrance L. Huntsberger; Paolo Pirjanian; Eric T. Baumgartner; Hrand Aghazarian; Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu; Patrick C. Leger; Yang Cheng; Paul G. Backes; Edward Tunstel; Steven Dubowsky; Karl D. Iagnemma; Gerard T. McKee

doi:10.1117/12.444181

5 October 2001 Robotic automation for space: planetary surface exploration, terrain-adaptive mobility, and multirobot cooperative tasks

Paul S. Schenker, Terrance L. Huntsberger, Paolo Pirjanian, Eric T. Baumgartner, Hrand Aghazarian, Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, Patrick C. Leger, Yang Cheng, Paul G. Backes, Edward Tunstel, Steven Dubowsky, Karl D. Iagnemma, Gerard T. McKee

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4572, Intelligent Robots and Computer Vision XX: Algorithms, Techniques, and Active Vision; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.444181
Event: Intelligent Systems and Advanced Manufacturing, 2001, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

During the last decade, there has been significant progress toward a supervised autonomous robotic capability for remotely controlled scientific exploration of planetary surfaces. While planetary exploration potentially encompasses many elements ranging from orbital remote sensing to subsurface drilling, the surface robotics element is particularly important to advancing in situ science objectives. Surface activities include a direct characterization of geology, mineralogy, atmosphere and other descriptors of current and historical planetary processes-and ultimately-the return of pristine samples to Earth for detailed analysis. Toward these ends, we have conducted a broad program of research on robotic systems for scientific exploration of the Mars surface, with minimal remote intervention. The goal is to enable high productivity semi-autonomous science operations where available mission time is concentrated on robotic operations, rather than up-and-down-link delays. Results of our work include prototypes for landed manipulators, long-ranging science rovers, sampling/sample return mobility systems, and more recently, terrain-adaptive reconfigurable/modular robots and closely cooperating multiple rover systems. The last of these are intended to facilitate deployment of planetary robotic outposts for an eventual human-robot sustained scientific presence. We overview our progress in these related areas of planetary robotics R&D, spanning 1995-to-present.

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Paul S. Schenker, Terrance L. Huntsberger, Paolo Pirjanian, Eric T. Baumgartner, Hrand Aghazarian, Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, Patrick C. Leger, Yang Cheng, Paul G. Backes, Edward Tunstel, Steven Dubowsky, Karl D. Iagnemma, and Gerard T. McKee "Robotic automation for space: planetary surface exploration, terrain-adaptive mobility, and multirobot cooperative tasks", Proc. SPIE 4572, Intelligent Robots and Computer Vision XX: Algorithms, Techniques, and Active Vision, (5 October 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.444181

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