Field testing of a rover guidance, navigation, and control architecture to support a ground-ice prospecting mission to Mars

  • Authors:

  • Timothy Barfoot;Paul Furgale;Braden Stenning;Patrick Carle;Laura Thomson;Gordon Osinski;Michael Daly;Nadeem Ghafoor

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada;University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada;University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada;University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada;University of Western Ontario, Department of Earth Sciences, Canada;University of Western Ontario, Department of Earth Sciences, Canada and University of Western Ontario, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Canada;York University, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, Canada;MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), Space Missions, Canada

  • Venue:
  • Robotics and Autonomous Systems
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

This paper provides an overview of a rover guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) architecture being developed to support a ground-ice prospecting mission to Mars. The main contribution of this paper is to detail an integrated field campaign that demonstrates the viability of the key rover GN&C techniques needed to carry out this mission. Tests were conducted on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic during the summer of 2009, wherein a large field robot was driven on real polygonal terrain (a landform of interest on Mars). Lessons learned and recommendations for future work are provided.