In an extreme environment, such as Mars or a volcanic area, mobile robots have been used in scientific missions, or as precursors for a future manned mission. The robot called a planetary exploration rover is managed by a space-qualified, radiation-hardened, and low-clock onboard computer, and autonomously travels over challenging terrain. For more about this … [Read more...] about Uncertainty-Aware Trajectory Planning: Using Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation in Traversability Prediction of Planetary Rovers
Space vehicles
Superresolution of Lunar Satellite Images for Enhanced Robotic Traverse Planning: Maximizing the Value of Existing Data Products for Space Robotics
Lunar exploration missions require detailed and accurate planning to ensure their safety. Remote sensing data, such as optical satellite imagery acquired by lunar orbiters, are key for the identification of future landing and mission sites. Here robot- and astronaut-scale obstacles are the most relevant to resolve; however, the spatial resolution of the available image data is … [Read more...] about Superresolution of Lunar Satellite Images for Enhanced Robotic Traverse Planning: Maximizing the Value of Existing Data Products for Space Robotics
Design, Testing, and Evolution of Mars Rover Testbeds: European Space Agency Planetary Exploration
This article presents the system architecture and design of two planetary rover laboratory testbeds developed at the European Space Agency (ESA). These research platforms have been developed to provide early prototypes for the validation of designs and serve the ESA’s Automation and Robotics Lab infrastructure for continuous research and testing. Both rovers have been built … [Read more...] about Design, Testing, and Evolution of Mars Rover Testbeds: European Space Agency Planetary Exploration
