Topic - Challenges in
Mobility and Robotics for In Situ Science
Challenges in Mobility and Robotics for In Situ Science
presented by Brian Wilcox
Manager, Solar System Exploration Mobility Technology Program
Click here on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the webcast.
Before the lecture begins, we will be streaming NASA
If you don't have RealPlayer,
you can download the free RealPlayer 8 Basic.
| Thursday, May 8
|| The von
Kármán Auditorium at JPL
4800 Oak Grove Drive
| Friday, May 9
|| The Vosloh
Forum at Pasadena City College
1570 East Colorado Blvd.
Both lectures begin at 7 p.m.
Admission is free. Seating is limited.
For more information, call (818) 354-0112.
In situ science
on planetary surfaces such as Mars, Venus, Mercury and Titan poses extreme
challenges for mobile robots. Mobility is needed to avoid the kind of situation
that occurred with the two Viking Landers in 1976: despite the rich array
of rocks visible around the landers, no rocks could be reached by either of
the robotic arms, and thus no real "hard rock" science could be done. This
presentation will focus on these challenges and will discuss future missions
that involve surface, subsurface, and atmospheric mobility. This focuses
the need for technology development in sensing, autonomy, and mobile robot
architectures for solar system exploration.