The Mars Surveyor '01 Rover and Robotic Arm

The Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander will carry with it both a Robotic Arm and Rover to support various science and technology experiments. The Marie Curie Rover, the twin sister to Sojourner Truth, is expected to explore the surface of Mars in early 2002. Scientific investigations to determine the elemental composition of surface rocks and soil using the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will be conducted along with several technology experiments including the Mars Experiment on Electrostatic Charging (MEEC) and the Wheel Abrasion Experiment (WAE). The Rover will follow uplinked operational sequences each day, but will be capable of autonomous reactions to the unpredictable features of the Martian environment. The Mars Surveyor 2001 Robotic Arm will perform rover deployment, and support various positioning digging, and sample acquiring functions for MECA (Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment) and Mossbauer Spectrometer experiments. The Robotic Arm will also collect its own sensor data for engineering data analysis. The Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) mounted on the forearm of the Robotic Arm will capture various images with a wide range of focal length adjustment during scientific experiments and rover deployment.

[1]  H. M. Holt,et al.  Viking '75 spacecraft design and test summary. Volume 1: Lander design , 1980 .

[2]  Robert G. Bonitz,et al.  Robust Internal Force-tracking Impedance Control for Coordinated Multi-arm Manipulation - Theory and , 1996 .

[3]  J. Matijevic,et al.  Mars Pathfinder Microrover - Implementing a Low Cost Planetary Mission Experiment , 1995 .

[4]  Mark W. Spong,et al.  Robot dynamics and control , 1989 .

[5]  H. Milton Holt,et al.  Viking '75 spacecraft design and test summary , 1980 .

[6]  Russell H. Taylor,et al.  Planning and execution of straight line manipulator trajectories , 1979 .

[7]  T.T. Nguyen,et al.  Experiences with operations and autonomy of the Mars Pathfinder Microrover , 1998, 1998 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.98TH8339).

[8]  H Y McSween,et al.  The chemical composition of Martian soil and rocks returned by the mobile alpha proton X-ray spectrometer: preliminary results from the X-ray mode. , 1997, Science.

[9]  Dale C. Ferguson,et al.  Evidence for Martian electrostatic charging and abrasive wheel wear from the Wheel Abrasion Experiment on the Pathfinder Sojourner rover , 1999 .

[10]  J. Matijevic,et al.  Mars Pathfinder Microrover , 1995, Auton. Robots.

[11]  Cary R. Spitzer,et al.  Physical properties of the surface materials at the Viking landing sites on Mars , 1987 .

[12]  Henry W. Stone,et al.  Design and Control of the MESUR/Pathfinder Microrover , 1993 .

[13]  Yoseph Bar-Cohen,et al.  Mars lander robotics and machine vision capabilities for in-situ planetary science , 1995, Other Conferences.

[14]  J. Denavit,et al.  A kinematic notation for lower pair mechanisms based on matrices , 1955 .