M. A. Judd

OASIS: Onboard Autonomous Science Investigation System for Opportunistic Rover Science

The Onboard Autonomous Science Investigation System has been developed to enable a rover to identify and react to serendipitous science opportunities. Using the FIDO rover in the Mars Yard at JPL, we have successfully demonstrated a fully autonomous opportunistic science system. The closed loop system tests included the rover acquiring image data, finding rocks in the image, analyzing rock properties and identifying rocks that merit further investigation. When the system on the rover alerts the rover to take additional measurements of interesting rocks, the planning and scheduling component determines if there are enough resources to meet this additional science data request. The rover is then instructed to either turn toward the rock, or to actually move closer to the rock to take an additional, close-up image. Prototype dust devil and cloud detection algorithms were delivered to an infusion task which refined the algorithms specifically for Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). These algorithms have been integrated into the MER flight software and were recently uploaded to the rovers on Mars.

Rover traverse science for increased mission science return

Rover traverse distances are increasing at a faster rate than downlink capacity is increasing. As this trend continues, the quantity of data that can be returned to Earth per meter traversed is reduced. The capacity of the rover to collect data, however, remains high. Ths circumstance leads to an opportunity to increase mission science return by carefully selecting the data with the highest science interest for downlink. We have developed an onboard science analysis technology for increasing science return from missions. Our technology evaluates the geologic data gather by the rover. This analysis is used to prioritize the data for transmission, so that the data with the highest science value is transmitted to Earth. In addition, the onboard analysis results are used to identify science opportunities. A planning and scheduling component of the system enables the rover to take advantage of the identified science opportunity. Although our techniques are applicable to a wide range of data modalities, our initial emphasis has focused on image analysis, since images consume a large percentage of downlink bandwidth. We have fkther focused our foundational work on rocks. Rocks are among the primary features populating the Martian landscape. Characterization and understanding of rocks on the surface is a-first step leading towards more complex in situ regional geological assessmeats by the rover. IEEEAC paper #1267, Updated November 3,2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Onboard Autonomous Rover Science

The Onboard Autonomous Science Investigation System (OASIS) was used in the first formal demonstration of closed loop opportunistic detection and reaction during a rover traverse on the FIDO rover at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In addition to hardware demonstrations, the system has been demonstrated and exercised in simulation using the Rover Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (ROAMS) planetary rover simulator, A. Jain et al (2003). We discuss several system enhancements including new planning and scheduling capabilities and image prioritization. We also describe the new end-of-traverse capability that includes taking a partial panorama of images, assessing these for targets of interest, and collecting narrow angle images of selected targets. Finally, we present several methods for estimating properties of rocks and provide a comparative assessment. Understanding the relationship of these methods is important to correctly interpret autonomous rock analyses performed during a traverse.