Developing an autonomy infusion infrastructure for robotic exploration

In this paper, we present an overview of the CLARAty (coupled layer architecture for robotic autonomy) architecture and describe the growth of capabilities and algorithms now available within this framework. We discuss the challenges of developing a software system with remote institutions and the lessons learned in our experience developing CLARAty with ARC, JPL, and Carnegie Mellon University. We describes the rover testbeds, in particular the K9 rover, and the integration and demonstration of new technologies enabling robust execution, single communication cycle instrument placement, fault diagnosis, and autonomous science.

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