Planetary robotics:

recent accomplishments

MER (2004)

MFEX/Sojourner (1997)

MSL/Curiosity (2012)

NASA / JPL family of rocker-

bogie suspension Mars

rovers

Planetary robotics: recent accomplishments

MER-B Opportunity still fully

operational after > 12 years

Sol 4315 – 32 deg slope high slip event

Planetary robotics: recent

accomplishmentsMSL / Curiosity:

In operations since 2012

Sedimentary rock sampling and analysis for

organics

MSL / Curiosity:

wheel damage

NASA / JPL

Mars 2020

rover (derived

from MSL)

European Space Agency (ESA)

ExoMars 2020 rover mission

European Space Agency (ESA)

ExoMars 2020 rover mission

European Space Agency (ESA)

ExoMars 2020 rover mission

Flexible wheels for adequate traction

Planetary robotics: recent accomplishments

Chinese program:

Successful lunar lander & rover in 2013 / 2014

Plan for Mars orbiter, lander, rover mission in 2020

Design drivers

• Stowage ! -> collapsable

chassis often needed

• Mobility sizing for

partially unknown

environments

• Mobility verificiation on

the ground (difference in

gravity)

• S/C on wheels…

Off-the-road vehicles: what can go wrong (1)

Off-the-road vehicles: what can go wrong (2)

MER Spirit rover

on Mars

Off-the-road vehicles: what can go wrong (3)

• Embedding of vehicles (terrestrial and planetary) in soil-like materials due to:

– Surprising, unknown terrain properties

– Deficiencies in operations planning

– Inadequate predictive models for design sizing

– Inadequate testing

Empirical model for motion resistance, using

Cone Index (CI) measured on terrain

Pruiksma et al., 2011

FEMDEM

Examples of modeling & simulation for planetary rovers

Nakashima et al., 2010

Knuth et al., 2011

DEM (trenching

MER rover wheel)

Current research: improved autonomy for

planetary rovers 1 / 2

• In-line embedding detection, slip & traction control– Visual odometry (in use on Mars rovers already, computationally

expensive)

– Gonzales et al., this conference: machine-learning

– Higa et al., this conference: real-time sinkage from TOF camera

– Dedicated terrain sensing instruments

– Upcoming MSL / Curiosity S/W patch: differential wheel drives control

(Moreland et al., this conference)

Wheeled Bevameter for

planetary rovers (Richter et

al., ISTVS 2014)

Current research: improved autonomy for

planetary rovers 2 / 2

• Faster real-time stereo vision for geometrical

obstacles detection & avoidance