Abstract
The Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science (AEGIS) system enables automated data collection by planetary rovers. AEGIS software was uploaded to the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission’s Opportunity rover in December 2009 and has successfully demonstrated automated onboard targeting based on scientist-specified objectives. Prior to AEGIS, images were transmitted from the rover to the operations team on Earth; scientists manually analyzed the images, selected geological targets for the rover’s remote-sensing instruments, and then generated a command sequence to execute the new measurements. AEGIS represents a significant paradigm shift---by using onboard data analysis techniques, the AEGIS software uses scientist input to select high-quality science targets with no human in the loop. This approach allows the rover to autonomously select and sequence targeted observations in an opportunistic fashion, which is particularly applicable for narrow field-of-view instruments (such as the MER Mini-TES spectrometer, the MER Panoramic camera, and the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) ChemCam spectrometer). This article provides an overview of the AEGIS automated targeting capability and describes how it is currently being used onboard the MER mission Opportunity rover.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.