Lori Shiraishi

The Mars Exploration Rover instrument positioning system

During Mars Exploration Rover (MER) surface operations, the scientific data gathered by the in situ instrument suite has been invaluable with respect to the discovery of a significant water history at Meridiani Planum and the hint of water processes at work in Gusev Crater. Specifically, the ability to perform precision manipulation from a mobile platform (i.e., mobile manipulation) has been a critical part of the successful operation of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. As such, this paper describes the MER instrument positioning system that allows the in situ instruments to operate and collect their important science data using a robust, dexterous robotic arm combined with visual target selection and autonomous software functions.

Mobile manipulation for the Mars exploration rover - a dexterous and robust instrument positioning system

This article has described in detail the Mars exploration rovers instrument positioning system and the use of this subsystem to carryout in situ operations of the Martian surface and subsurface. All told, the instrument deployment device (IDD) has served as an exceptional robotic mechanism for performing robust and reliable in situ science. The ability to carry out high precision mobile manipulation functions provided by the rover and the IDD has been critical to gaining a fundamental understanding of the water processes at work at both the Spirit and Opportunity landing sites. As such, the MERs IPS has paved the way for the use of future robotic devices that advance NASAs capabilities in autonomous manipulation, sample acquisition, and in situ science investigations

Development and testing of a rotary percussive Sample Acquisition Tool

A low mass Sample Acquisition Tool (SAT) has been developed that can be used autonomously to percussively core, fracture, and capture rock cores. The tool was developed as part of the Integrated Mars Sample Acquisition and Handling (IMSAH) architecture allowing for end to end sample capture and caching as it relates to the proposed Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. The key element of the tool design, as it pertains to the IMSAH architecture, is the ability to drill and capture rock cores directly into a sample tube. In doing so, the sample tube becomes the handling element within the IMSAH sample handling chain significantly reducing the possibility of sample contamination and uncertainty related to handling a sample of unknown geometry. In order to validate the tools unit level functionality a series of verification and validation tests have been performed utilizing a rock test suite that encompasses a variety of rock types that are analogous to Martian rocks and have been used in the past to qualify Martian surface sampling hardware. The results of the testing have shown the tool can successfully generate, fracture, and capture rock cores within a sample tube for all of the rocks within the proposed test suite. Additionally, the tool does so while maintaining torque margins of no less than 50% for all mechanisms with an average power consumption of no greater than 90W and a tool mass of less than 6kg.

The Phoenix Mars Lander Robotic Arm

The Phoenix Mars Lander Robotic Arm (RA) has operated for 149 sols since the Lander touched down on the north polar region of Mars on May 25, 2008. During its mission it has dug numerous trenches in the Martian regolith, acquired samples of Martian dry and icy soil, and delivered them to the Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) and the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA). The RA inserted the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) into the Martian regolith and positioned it at various heights above the surface for relative humidity measurements. The RA was used to point the Robotic Arm Camera to take images of the surface, trenches, samples within the scoop, and other objects of scientific interest within its workspace. Data from the RA sensors during trenching, scraping, and trench cave-in experiments have been used to infer mechanical properties of the Martian soil. This paper describes the design and operations of the RA as a critical component of the Phoenix Mars Lander necessary to achieve the scientific goals of the mission.

Correction to “SPADE: A rock‐crushing and sample‐handling system developed for Mars missions”

[1] In the paper ‘‘SPADE: A rock-crushing and samplehandling system developed for Mars missions’’ by Candice J. Hansen, David A. Paige, Gregory Bearman, Steven Furstenau, Jennifer Horn, Colin Mahoney, Steven Patrick, Greg Peters, Josh Scherbenski, Lori Shiraishi, and Wayne Zimmerman (Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, E06008, doi:10.1029/2005JE002413, 2007), the name of author Stephen Fuerstenau was presented incorrectly. The correct spelling is given here. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 112, E07099, doi:10.1029/2007JE002960, 2007