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Recent Robotics Developments at NASA/JPL 490 日本ロボット学会誌 Vol. 27 No.5, pp.490～493, 2009 解説 Recent Robotics Developments at NASA/JPL ∗ ∗ RichardVolpe and Richard Doyle ∗Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology this allowed for a significant expansion of their original 1. Introduction science objectives, but has also provided the chance to While progress in AI, Robotics and Automation has thoroughly exercise the robotics systems, both in their been achieved in the United States along multiple original form, and as enhanced by subsequent software fronts, this report will focus on JPL contributions to upgrades. NASA space exploration objectives. Complementary As originally flown, the spacecraft functionality contributions from NASA and university partners are included: lander descent image motion estimation also noted. As an overview, this article will only briefly (DIMES), image feature tracking for visual odometry, describe these activities, and detailed descriptions can stereo vision for obstacle detection, local path planning be obtained both from the i-SAIRAS ’08 proceedings, for obstacle avoidance (GESTALT), vehicle kinematics as well as other publications. and control for driving, and manipulator kinematics and This overview will first present relevant technologies control for instrument placement. This onboard soft- from recent and upcoming Mars Missions, including the ware suite was originally limited due to project devel- ongoing Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission, the opment schedule and flight system limitations, includ- recent Phoenix Mars Lander mission, and the upcoming ing the 20 [MHz] flight processor. Additionally, ground 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission. control software with robotics heritage included the two Second, this overview will discuss major robotic primary operations interfaces: RSVPforengineering, software systems’ technology development, including and Maestro for science. the Couple Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy However, with the longevity of the flight system, and (CLARAty), the Dynamics and Real-Time Systems technology development funding from the Mars Tech- simulation (DARTS), the Maestro Operations Interface, nology Program, several additional capabilities were and initial efforts to combine these. matured, validated, and transferred to the flight system. Third, the overview will describe recent efforts in ex- These include: visual target tracking for autonomous ploration technology development as targeted to three instrument placement (VTT), model and vision based planetary mission scenarios: Mars, Lunar, and atmo- manipulator collision prevention, global path planning spheric (Venus and Titan). (Carnegie Mellon’s Field D∗,seeFig. 1), and image pro- Fourth, major recent astrobiology technology re- cessing for autonomous dust-devil detection. All have search is described, and a summary is provided. been exercised on the flight systems on Mars. Usage of any algorithm, original or added, is at the discretion of 2. Mars Flight Robotics Progress mission planners according to the requirements of the Launched in 2003, the MER rovers, Spirit and Op- activities for any specific day. portunity, have continued to operate on the Martian In 2008, the rovers were joined on Mars for four surface well beyond their target lifetimes.Notonly has months by the Phoenix lander, which touched down north of the arctic circle on Mars, and survived through 原稿受付 2009 年 5 月 1 日 the Martian summer. While Phoenix was a static lan- キーワード：Mars Exploration, Software Technology, Aerial der, it employed some of the same technology used by Robotics, Astrobiology Technology ∗4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109 MER. First and foremost, the manipulator on Phoenix JRSJ Vol. 27 No. 5 —10— June, 2009 Recent Robotics Developments at NASA/JPL 491 Fig. 1 MER Opportunity tracks made while driving with GESTALT and D∗ was crucial forsampleacquisition and delivery to the gram has funded several forms of software infrastruc- science instruments on the top of the spacecraft. JPL ture for onboard control, physics-based simulation, and robotics led the development, implementation and op- ground control operations. erations for manipulator control for constrained mo- CLARAty has been developed to provide a common tion while digging, grinding, and scraping, and pre- software infrastructure for robot control. It consists of cision placement during sample delivery. Addition- two layers. TheFunctional Layer is an object-oriented ally, robotics technologies were employed for operations framework for defining the relationship between all com- (adapted versions of MER’s operator interfaces, RSVP ponents of robot control, while providing support for and Maestro); physics-based simulation of entry, de- heterogeneous robots, and complementary or compet- scent and landing (EDL) for mission planning; and im- itive algorithms. The Decision Layer contains delib- age processing of orbital imagery for landing site selec- erative planning and scheduling as well as execution, tion. and has a defined interface for accessing the Func- Planned for 2011 is the next rover mission, the Mars tional Layer capabilities at different levels of abstrac- Science Laboratory (MSL). MSL is roughly twice as big tion. CLARAty development has been a cooperative as MER in all dimensions, and approximately five times effort with NASA JPL, NASA Ames, Carnegie Mel- more massive. This allows for a larger science payload, lon University (CMU), and the University of Minnesota. and carrying of a nuclear power source (RTG). Without Algorithm development from these institutions, as well solar panels to become dust-covered, and with the con- as others such as MIT, have been captured in the frame- stant heatfromtheRTG,MSL will not suffer the same work. thermal and power cycling problems that contributed to DARTS is a physics-based simulation system which the conservative lifetime predictions for MER—instead has been developed for emulation, controls, mission its primary mission is one full Martian year. Its robotic planning, and operations. While original versions of capabilities will include all those available for MER, the system were used for free-flying spacecraft, recent plus manipulator-based drilling to acquire rock samples. missions have required simulation of in-situ situations— As was enabled by the longevity of MER, it is antici- these included entry, descent, and landing; surface rov- pated that future software upgrades will add function- ing; or aerial operations. Models developed for EDL ality to the rover. have been developed and used in a software deployment named DSENDS. Additionally, DSENDS can be used 3. Robotics Software Technology for aerial robot (aerobot) simulations. Models for sur- To support technology development such as that suc- face wheel-terrain interactionhavebeen coupled with cessfully employed for MER, the Mars Technology Pro- terrain models and data in another software deployment 日本ロボット学会誌 27 巻 5 号 —11— 2009 年 6 月 492 Richard Volpe Richard Doyle named ROAMS. Both DSENDS and ROAMS are used for technology development for Mars, Moon, and Titan, and missions such as Phoenix and MSL. Maestro is a Java software system for user interfacing during mission operations or technology development. It has been used for rover and aerobot field testing; MER and Phoenix missions, and is planned for use in MSL. Its component architecture, allows for contribu- tions from several organizations, including NASA Ames. Recent efforts have combined CLARAty, ROAMS, and Maestro into an end-to-end simulation of a full mis- Fig. 2 NASA JPL ATHLETE sion. Such a combined system has value as a “flight sim- ulator” for operators and scientists to train for future missions, and as a mechanism by which to test tech- nology components in a full system. For instance, new autonomy technology can be more easily integrated, and feedback on its utility can be obtained. 4. Planetary Robotics Applications In addition to development ofsoftware systems, com- ponent technologies are under development for Mars, Moon, and extraterrestrial atmospheric exploration. For Mars, autonomy needs can be divided in four cat- egories: long traverse, instrument placement, onboard Fig. 3 NASA JPL Titan Aerobot Testbed science data processing, and sampling. For long tra- verse, mobility on steep terrain may require tethered ging, and drilling; and drive or walk over rough terrain systems, therefore JPL is investigating design and con- while actively controlling its attitude. Walking algo- trol of such systems (e.g. Cliffbot and Axel). For instru- rithms for ATHLETE are under development by NASA ment placement and onboard science, JPL is develop- Ames, and operations of the system are performed using ing autonomous visual rock detection and instrument modified versions of the RSVP and Maestro interfaces pointing (OASIS). For sampling, JPL is investigating from the Mars program. Several field tests of ATH- autonomous rock coring and caching from a MER class LETE have been performed, both alone and in conjuc- rover. Some of these may mature quickly enough for tion with other systems, such as JSC’s Chariot. eventual use on MSL. Others may only be suitable for Finally, for planned future missions to planetary at- future missions such as a possible sample caching mis- mospheres, JPL is developing several different aerobot sion in 2018. designs. Pressurized balloons are under development The NASA Exploration Systems Mission Director for Venus applications, where the upper atmosphere is (ESMD) has a strong program to develop all
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