[ad_1]
On board, each rover will carry a small computer, wireless radio and a stereo camera for capturing 3D images. While none alone will collect more data than a larger one, deploying several at once can reduce the risk of a catastrophic task failure.
CADRE was developed within NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and is currently being tested by researchers. Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Lab at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. SLOPE is the same lab that is testing the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), a mobile robot that will launch in November 2023 and explore for frozen water on the moon.
One of the project’s goals is to prevent a repeat of what happened to NASA’s Mars rover Spirit in 2009—a nightmare for space exploration enthusiasts.
Spirit, one of two twin rovers sent to opposite sides of Mars in 2004, presented some of the most detailed images of the Red Planet ever seen. But five years into his mission, Spirit’s wheels got stuck in soft Martian sand. NASA engineers took eight months to get it moving, but after multiple failed attempts, Spirit was finally put into service as a stationary science platform.
To ensure new rovers don’t get stuck, SLOPE simulates the unique terrains they must navigate, from the dusty soil of the moon to the rocky Martian surface. Researchers use motion-capture technology that includes a pair of stereo cameras to create thousands of 3D images that are used to measure the speed of each rover and the movement of its tires, helping them predict how the ground will respond.
“This system allows us to really characterize traction performance,” says Schepelmann. “We can basically measure how each part of the robot is moving.”
Wolfgang FinkAn associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arizona who studies autonomous exploration systems says that although rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance have limited autonomy, the transition to full autonomy through projects like CADRE will allow humanity to explore areas we may never have. otherwise reach it.
On average, it takes only seconds for communication to travel between Earth and the moon, but if the message has to travel from Mars, it takes minutes. As far away as Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, communication between mission control and any terrain vehicle or rover would take hours, meaning any unforeseen disruption could endanger the entire mission. The further we want to explore from home, the more important autonomy will be.
[ad_2]
Source link