Two dogs, new tricks: A two‐rover mission simulation using K9 and FIDO at Black Rock Summit, Nevada

[1] An experiment illustrating two rovers cooperatively exploring a field site was performed at Black Rock Summit, Nevada, in May 2000. The rovers FIDO and K9 are mechanically identical prototype planetary rovers designed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. FIDO carried high-resolution false-color infrared and low-resolution monochrome stereo cameras and an infrared point spectrometer on a mast-mounted pointable platform, a manipulator arm equipped with a color microscopic imager, and a coring drill for sample collection. K9 carried on a mast-mounted pointable platform high-resolution color and low-resolution monochrome stereo cameras, and a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer for standoff elemental analysis. A team located at Jet Propulsion Laboratory commanded the two rovers for 3 days. K9 obtained stereo images of targets, and three-dimensional models were constructed to determine the best locations for FIDO to obtain core samples. A drilling target was selected 1.5 m from the starting position of FIDO. Six command cycles and 2 m of traversing were required for FIDO to reach, drill into, and place an instrument on the target. K9 required 11 command cycles to traverse 60 m and obtain full-coverage stereo images of two rock targets along its route. Virtual reality-based visualization software called Viz provided situational awareness of the environment for both rovers. Commands to K9 were planned using Viz, resulting in improved rover performance. The results show that two rovers can be used synergistically to achieve science goals, but further testing is needed to completely explore the value of two-rover missions.

[1]  M. Sims,et al.  The Mars 2001 Athena Precursor Experiment (APEX) , 1999 .

[2]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Overview of the Mars Pathfinder Mission: Launch through landing, surface operations, data sets, and science results , 1999 .

[3]  S. Squyres,et al.  Rover trials for Mars sample return Mission prove successful , 2000 .

[4]  Randolph L. Kirk,et al.  Enhanced visualization for interpretation of Magellan radar data: Supplement to the Magellan Special Issue , 1992 .

[5]  Peter Cheeseman,et al.  Super-Resolved Surface Reconstruction from Multiple Images , 1996 .

[6]  Charles S. Cockell,et al.  Search for life on Mars in surface samples: Lessons from the 1999 Marsokhod rover field experiment , 2001 .

[7]  Raymond E. Arvidson,et al.  FIDO prototype Mars rover field trials, Black Rock Summit, Nevada, as test of the ability of robotic mobility systems to conduct field science , 2002 .

[8]  Terrence Fong,et al.  OPERATOR INTERFACES AND NETWORK-BASED PARTICIPATION FOR DANTE II , 1995 .

[9]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile: 2. Identification of paleolife evidence using a robotic vehicle: Lessons and recommendations for a Mars sample return mission , 2001 .

[10]  Joy A. Crisp,et al.  Soil‐like deposits observed by Sojourner, the Pathfinder rover , 1999 .

[11]  C. T. Ulmer,et al.  Rocky 7 prototype Mars rover field geology experiments 1. Lavic Lake and sunshine volcanic field, California , 1998 .

[12]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Analyzing Pathfinder data using virtual reality and superresolved imaging , 1999 .

[13]  Jeffrey R. Johnson,et al.  The 1999 Marsokhod rover mission simulation at Silver Lake, California: Mission overview, data sets, and summary of results , 2001 .

[14]  Sidney Liebes,et al.  Viking 1975 Mars Lander interactive computerized video stereophotogrammetry , 1977 .

[15]  Stephen Gorevan,et al.  FIDO science payload simulating the Athena Payload , 2002 .

[16]  Raymond E. Arvidson,et al.  Combined remote mineralogical and elemental identification from rovers: Field and laboratory tests using reflectance and laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy , 2002 .

[17]  David S. Wettergreen,et al.  Field Experiments with the Ames Marsokhod Rover , 1998 .

[18]  Rover Team.  Characterization of the Martian surface deposits by the Mars Pathfinder rover, Sojourner. Rover Team. , 1997, Science.

[19]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  The search for life on Mars: The role of rovers , 1998 .

[20]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile: 1. Science results overview , 2001 .

[21]  Lorenzo Flückiger,et al.  A Robot Interface Using Virtual Reality and Automatic Kinematics Generator , 1998 .

[22]  F. J. de Serres,et al.  Results and recommendations , 1994 .

[23]  Michael W. McGreevy.  Virtual Reality and Planetary Exploration , 1992 .

[24]  Michael W. McGreevy,et al.  The Presence of Field Geologists in Mars-Like Terrain , 1992, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[25]  William H. Duquette,et al.  RIVA: A Versatile Parallel Rendering System for Interactive Scientific Visualization , 1996, IEEE Trans. Vis. Comput. Graph..

[26]  David Wettergreen,et al.  Lessons from the Development and Deployment of Dante II , 1998 .

[27]  H. J. Moore,et al.  Overview of the Mars Pathfinder mission and assessment of landing site predictions. , 1997, Science.

[28]  R. M. Batson,et al.  Digital maps of Mars , 1995 .

[29]  W. D. Quinlivan,et al.  Geologic map of the Portuguese Mountain Quadrangle, Nye County, Nevada , 1974 .

[30]  Kam S. Tso,et al.  Internet-based operations for the Mars Polar Lander mission , 2000, Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065).

[31]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Antarctic Undersea Exploration Using a Robotic Submarine with a Telepresence User Interface , 1995, IEEE Expert.

[32]  R. J. Reid,et al.  Results from the Mars Pathfinder camera. , 1997, Science.