Rover: Autonomous concepts for Mars exploration
Abstract
The development of a mobile, autonomous vehicle that will be launched towards an unknown planet is considered. The rover significant constraints are: Ariane 5 compatibility, Earth/Mars transfer capability, 1000 km autonomous moving in Mars environment, on board localization, and maximum science capability. Two different types of subsystem were considered: classical subsystems (mechanical and mechanisms, thermal, telecommunications, power, onboard data processing) and robotics subsystem, (perception/navigation, autonomous displacement generation, autonomous localization). The needs of each subsystem were studied in terms of energy and data handling capability, in order to choose an on board architecture which best use the available capability, by means of specialized parts. A compromise must always be done between every subsystem in order to obtain the real need with respect to the goal, for example: between perception/navigation and the motion capability. A compromise must also be found between mechanical assembly and calibration need, which is a real problem.
- Publication:
-
In its Missions
- Pub Date:
- January 1993
- Bibcode:
- 1993mtdp.rept..313B
- Keywords:
-
- Automatic Control;
- Mars (Planet);
- Roving Vehicles;
- Navigation;
- Robotics;
- Space Exploration;
- Mechanical Engineering