Ames Research Center

Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations Terry FongIntelligent Robotics Groupterry.fong@nasa.gov irg.arc.nasa.

gov

2Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Notional Lunar Campaign

3Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

First Three Years3650 total days

(robot on surface)

1140 days(robots on surface)

1140 days(robots on surface)

87 days(crew on surface)

87 days(crew on surface)

During the first three years, crew is on the surface

8% of the time

During the first three years, crew is on the surface

8% of the time

4Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Lunar Surface Robotics

Un-crewed Missions• Characterize environment• Prepare for crew• Build infrastructure

Short-stay Missions• EVA support: expand range

and capability of sorties• Off-load repetitive and time

consuming tasks

Outpost Missions• Routine tasks: maintenance,

ops support, survey, etc.• Heavy duty: large payload

transport, construction, etc.

5Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

NASA Human-Robotic Systems Project

Research areasSurface mobility

Humans Payloads Utility robots

Handling Cargo Material Payloads

Human-robotinteraction (HRI)

Primary Objectives• Address key technical challenges for lunar surface operations

• Develop requirements & mature surface systems

• Perform trade studies in relevant and analog environments

NASA Centers: ARC, GRC, GSFC, JPL, JSC, KSC, LaRC

2006 Meteor Crater Field Test2006 Meteor Crater Field Test

6Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Human-Robotic Systems Project

Chariot K10’s Scarab

ATHLETE Centaur

7Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

HRS Analog Field Testing

Objectives• Test and validate technologies, systems, & procedures

• Conduct integrated simulations

Analogs are never perfect• No place on Earth is exactly like the Moon

• No single site covers all needs

Level of fidelity is key• Every analog offers different levels of fidelity

• Choice of analog depends on what level of fidelity is needed

HRS emphasis = operational + compositional analogs

scale of site

scope of activities

logistically reasonable

flats, slopes & craters

dusty to bouldered

geology

8Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

2006 Meteor Crater Field Test

3-16 September 2006• Coordinated human-robot operations

• ARC, JSC, JPL, & LaRC

• Co-located with Desert RATS (shared infrastructure)

9Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

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3

4

5

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4

5

3

Lunar Short Stay Mission Simulation

ATHLETE positions Pressurized Rover Compartment (PRC)

Crew drive unpressurized rover to worksite

Crew dismount and walk to PRC to recharge suits

Centaur removes sample box (time-delayed teleop via satellite from Houston)

K10 performs autonomous “walkaround” (for remote visual inspection)

10Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Visual Inspection

Rover-based imaging• Autonomous approach &

circumnavigation

• HDR gigapixel panorama

• Crew (IVA or ground) analyzes images for problems

K10 inspection of SCOUTMeteor Crater Field Test, Sept. 2006

M. Bualat et al. 2007. “Autonomous Robotic Inspection for Lunar Surface Operations”, FSR ’07

K10 inspection of SCOUTMeteor Crater Field Test, Sept. 2006

M. Bualat et al. 2007. “Autonomous Robotic Inspection for Lunar Surface Operations”, FSR ’07

11Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Basic Panorama

Source: 54 images (1,600x1,200) = 99 MpixPanorama: 90º x 40º (12,000x6,000)

Source: 54 images (1,600x1,200) = 99 MpixPanorama: 90º x 40º (12,000x6,000)

12Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

HDR Panorama

Source: 270 images (1,600x1,200) @ 5 stops = 494 MpixPanorama: 90º x 40º (12,000x6,000)

Source: 270 images (1,600x1,200) @ 5 stops = 494 MpixPanorama: 90º x 40º (12,000x6,000)

13Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Haughton Crater(Devon Island, Canada)

Haughton Crater(Devon Island, Canada)

2007 Haughton Crater Field Test

10 July – 3 August 2007• Systematic site survey with two K10 robots

3D scanning lidar for topographic mapping Ground-penetrating radar for resource prospecting

• Multiple lunar analog sites at Haughton Crater

• Remote (habitat and ground control) robot operations

K10K10

14Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Remote Operations

NASAARC

NASAJSC

“Lunar Outpost” “Pressurized Rover”ARCIVA OpsGround Ops

JSC

15Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

“Drill Hill” Survey

700 m

Survey plan• K10 robot on-site for 3 days

• HMMWV simulates pressurized rover (temporary habitat)

• Resource prospecting: subsurface ground-penetrating radar scans (parallel transects with 50 m spacing)

16Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

“Drill Hill” Survey

Survey plan(green)

Survey plan(green)

K10 path(black)

K10 path(black)

Survey boundary(blue)

Survey boundary(blue)

Parallel line transects (50 m spacing, E-W, N-S)

20.5 km total traverse

Parallel line transects (50 m spacing, E-W, N-S)

20.5 km total traverse

17Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 Lidar Survey

18Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 Lidar Survey

19Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

3D Terrain Modeling

Valley mapping(1 m polar grid)

Valley mapping(1 m polar grid)

130 m

20Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

3D Terrain Modeling

HMP base camp(1 m polar grid)

HMP base camp(1 m polar grid)

21Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 GPR Survey

22Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 GPR Survey

23Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 GPR Survey

24Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

GPR Survey Display

transectlines

transectlines

1x1 metergrid

1x1 metergrid

GPR data(vertical)

GPR data(vertical)

25Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

2008 Moses Lake Sand Dunes Field Test

1-13 June 2008• Examine early lunar mission tasks (not precursor)

(deploy infrastructure, site surveys, install beacons)

• Multi-robot & coordinated human-robot activities

• Experiment with different ops scenarios(shared & traded control, ground & surface)

Chariot

K10

ATHLETE

26Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Moses Lake Sand Dunes

• 3,000 acre sand dune site Soft soil with mixed gravel Rolling terrain, varied slopes Lightly vegetated

• Lunar operations analog

• Not lunar science analog

27Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Moses Lake Sand Dunes

28Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

K10 Activities

Utility robotics• Systematic science survey: ground penetrating radar

• Robotic recon: “high grade” science targets for traverse planning

• Topographic survey: 3D scanning lidar

• Comm network mapping: predicted vs. actual coverage

• Mobile camera (videographer)

DEM(1m polar grid)

DEM(1m polar grid)

Ground ops(JSC)

Ground ops(JSC) ActualActual

PredictedPredicted

29Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Function Polar volatiles search

Mode Mapping

Path Systematic coverage

ScienceInstruments

Visible imager(s) Ground-penetrating radarMicroscopic terrain imager

ScienceObjectives

Map subsurface structureIdentify particle distributionAssess site stratigraphyIdentify water table depth

robot

Systematic Site Survey

Local Area Mapping• Maps for engineering, science, & ISRU

• Dense coverage + repetitive measurements(e.g., parallel-line transects)

• Lidar, comm signal, GPR, penetrometer, etc

K10 Black at Moses Lake Sand Dunes

30Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Function Geologic scouting

Mode Exploration

Path Circuitous

ScienceInstruments

Visible imager(s) on pan/tilt3D scanning lidarMicroscopic terrain imager

ScienceObjectives

Triage sample locationsIdentify particle distributionAssess surface compositionEvaluate depositional history

robot crew

Robotic Recon

Advance science scout• Site & traverse recon before crew activity

(“high grading” by science backroom)

• Increase crew productivity (traverse planning)

• Multi-modal sensing (not just visible imagery)

K10 Red at Moses Lake Sand Dunes

31Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

EVA Traverse Planning

• Robotic recon identifies & priorities sites of interest

• Plan EVA traverse to maximize utility

• Traverse assessment Suited subjects (limited geology training) Unsuited subject: identify what missed while in suit Field geologist: ground truth

32Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

Flight Director

Science LiaisonSystems Liaison

Flight Control Team

RobotCmdr

RobotDriver K10 Red PI

Science Operations Team

SystemsLead

Systems Support Team

Hardware Eng.

Robot Ops Team GPR PEL

Imager PEL

MI PEL

Lidar PEL

Power Eng.

Control Eng.

K10 Black PI

MosesLake

JSCB9

JSCB9 Science PI

JSCB9

Telemetry Eng.Data CurationK10

RobotK10

Robot

“RoboCom”

ExecutionSecs to Hours

TacticalMinutes to Hours

StrategicMinutes to Days

Ground Control Structure

33Field Testing of Utility Robots for Lunar Surface Operations

RobotOperationsTeam

RobotOperationsTeam

FlightControlTeam

FlightControlTeam

ScienceOpsTeam

ScienceOpsTeam

SystemsSupportTeam

SystemsSupportTeam

Key

Functional Flow

Robot

Execution

Tactical

Strategic

Data

Voice

Flight Director

Sci LiaisonSys Liaison

RoboCom

RobotCmdr

RobotDriver

Science PISystems

Lead

K10Robot

Intelligent Robotics GroupIntelligent Systems Division

NASA Ames Research Center

irg.arc.nasa.gov

Copyright © 2008