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Cooperative Exploration of Rough Martian Terrains with the "Scorpion" Legged Robot as an Adjunct to a Rover.NASA needs autonomous robotic exploration of difficult (rough and/or steep) scientifically interesting Martian terrains. Concepts involving distributed autonomy for cooperative robotic exploration are key to enabling new scientific objectives in robotic missions. We propose to utilize a legged robot as an adjunct scout to a rover for access to difficult - scientifically interesting - terrains (rocky areas, slopes, cliffs). Our final mission scenario involves the Ames rover platform "K9" and Scorpion acting together to explore a steep cliff, with the Scorpion robot rappelling down using the K9 as an anchor as well as mission planner and executive. Cooperation concepts, including wheeled rappelling robots have been proposed before. Now we propose to test the combined advantages of a wheeled vehicle with a legged scout as well as the advantages of merging of high level planning and execution with biologically inspired, behavior based robotics. We propose to use the 8-legged, multifunctional autonomous robot platform Scorpion that is currently capable of: Walking on different terrains (rocks, sand, grass, ...). Perceiving its environment and modifying its behavioral pattern accordingly. These capabilities would be extended to enable the Scorpion to: communicate and cooperate with a partner robot; climb over rocks, rubble piles, and objects with structural features. This will be done in the context of exploration of rough terrains in the neighborhood of the rover, but inaccessible to it, culminating in the added capability of rappelling down a steep cliff for both vertical and horizontal terrain observation.
Document ID
20030107842
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Colombano, Silvano P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Kirchner, Frank
(Bremen Univ. Germany)
Spenneberg, Dirk
(Bremen Univ. Germany)
Starman, Jared
(Stanford Univ. Stanford, CA, United States)
Hanratty, James
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Kovsmeyer, David
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2003
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: Mars Soc Conference
Location: Eugene, OR
Country: United States
Start Date: August 14, 2003
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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