Transcript ROBOTICS AND LUNAR EXPLORATION Ayanna M. Howard, Ph.D. Human-Automation Systems Lab School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Acknowledgements: Dr.

ROBOTICS AND LUNAR
EXPLORATION
Ayanna M. Howard, Ph.D.
Human-Automation Systems Lab
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Acknowledgements:
Dr. Edward Tunstel, Lead Engineer, MER Mobility Team
Dr. Paul Schenker, Manager, Robotics Space Exploration Technology Program
Why Robots?
• WHY NOT JUST HUMANS FOR PRE-CURSOR LUNAR
MISSIONS??
• Has been PROVEN that Human Control is NOT Safe!!
• When steering commands are delayed by communications
there is a tendency for the operator to over-steer and lose
control.
• It was shown that with a communication delay
corresponding to round trip to the Moon (about 2 1/2
seconds) the vehicle could not be reliably controlled if
traveling faster than about 0.2 mph (0.3 kph) [Adams
1961]
Why Robots?
• WHY ROBOTS FOR SORTIE MISSIONS??
• A complex extended mission will require more tasks than
humans can support without help.
• Crewmember time will be a very valuable resource, so
mundane tasks should be minimized. This will allow the
crew to apply their expertise where it is most needed.
• Extra-vehicular activity is particularly risky for humans, but
will be unavoidable for a complex mission.
– Spacesuits restrict mobility, dexterity, and visual field
– Suit pressurization opposes bending motions, reducing
effective stamina
– Limited time during EVA, plus time for pre-breathing
Rover Functionality
•
•
More increasingly, robotic vehicle autonomy is
necessary for ensuring science return and
achieving overall success of planetary surface
missions
Recent and planned missions include
requirements that rely on autonomous mobility
and manipulation technologies to achieve
mission success
– Mars Pathfinder (MPF) (Sojourner rover):
• traverse to science targets to acquire
spectroscopic measurements
– Mars Exploration Rover (MER):
• traverse to new locations over terrain of
some reference complexity and accurately
place instruments onto science targets
• maintain estimated position knowledge
within some % of distance traversed
– Mars Science Laboratory (MSL); ExoMars
MER Benchmark for Rover Autonomy
• MER represents the longest deployment of
planetary rovers in remote planetary surface
environments.
• A new benchmark in planetary robot autonomy and
human-robot systems (in addition to a landmark in
planetary in situ scientific exploration)
• Assess rovers’ performance (surface navigation and
instrument placement) to facilitate understanding of
future robotic systems by providing metrics derived
from Mars performance data for Spirit and
Opportunity.
Surface Operations
• Rover technologies can be classified based on
four common technologies
Surface Mobility
(Mobile Autonomy)
Terrain assessment, path
planning, visual servoing
(Mobility Mechanization)
Science Perception,
Planning & Execution
On-board and ground tools;
data analysis, target
selection, operations
planning and execution
Extreme terrain access,
energy efficiency
Human-Robot EVA Interactions
Tele-operation and
human supervision of
robotic explorers
Robotic work crews
Instrument Placement and
Sample Manipulation
Position sensors, collect and process
samples
May include sample containerization
and return-rendezvous phases
Surface Mobility
Movement is a key requirement for autonomous planetary
rovers. Focus is to enable planetary rovers to traverse long
distances on challenging terrains safely and autonomously.
• Trade-offs on design include:
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HumAnS Lab, GeorgiaTech
•
–
–
–
–
–
–
Maneuverability
Traction
Climbing ability
Stability
Efficiency
Environmental impact
Characteristics include:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Distance/range
Speed
Terrain accessibility (slopes, obstacles, texture, soil)
Load carrying capability
Agility (turn radius)
Access (vertical, sub-surface, small spaces, etc.)
Science Perception, Planning, Execution
• Provide ground tools for scientists to plan days events, while
allowing generation and robust execution of plans with
contingencies, concurrent activities, and flexible times
• Characteristics Include:
• Sensing
• Analysis (e.g. chemical analysis)
• Data processing
• Understanding of Context, Knowledge, and Experience
Se ns or, te rrain-inte raction, and navigational control m ode ls drive
e arly ope rational s cenario ass e s s m e nt and de sign validation
Modeling
Global Site Knowledge
Hypothesis Generation
In-Situ Measurement
Hypothesis
Testing
Human-Robot EVA Interactions
•
Characteristics
–
Ground based supervised autonomy (versus tele-operation)
•
–
–
–
Operator may enter planning, monitoring, and control at multiple
levels
Proximate telepresence
Shoulder-to-shoulder interaction
Robot assistants
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Instrument Placement/Sample Manipulation


Arm placement and object manipulation involves touching a
specific point in 3D space, grasping an arbitrarily oriented
object in 3D space, and moving an object from one location to
another.
The CHALLENGE
 Get there efficiently and safely

And, move the arm so that it does not try to violate its
own joint limits

And ensure that it does not hit itself or the rest of the
robot, or any other obstacles in the environment
• Common Characteristics Include:
– Mass and volume
– Fragility, contamination, reactivity
– Manipulation technique: Torque, Precision, Complexity
of motion
– Repetitive vs. unique
– Time
– Moving with minimal disturbance
1.6 m
~2.1 m
Capability Benchmarks: MER to MSL
1.2 m
Mars Exploration Rover
1.7 m
Mars Science Laboratory
Landed Mass
174 kg
~600 kg
Autonomous Traverse
Rates
17.5-34.5 m/hr
89-100 m/hr
Designed Driving
Distance
~4500 m
5000-10,000 m
Approachability
2.93 m/sol
6.67 m/sol
Power/Sol
400 - 950 w/hr
~2400 w/hr
Instruments (#/mass)
7/5.44 kg
6-9/65 kg
Data Return
50-150 Mb/sol
500-1000 Mb/sol
Current State-of-the-Art
•
Autonomous mobility and sample access
– MER mobility: 10-120 m/sol to commanded point with > 90% success,
< 20 degree slopes, sparse obstacle field
– MER visual odometry: ~2% accuracy over distance traveled
– MER sample access: RAT, wheel scuffing of soil
– Deep Space 2: Small, sub-surface micro probe, ~50cm access
•
Autonomous instrument deployment
– MPL arm: ~2 m reach, 4 DOF, operated from fixed platform
– MER arm: 90 cm reach, 4 DOF, operated from mobile base
•
On-board autonomous science
– Human-commanded on per-sol basis
– Fixed sequences
•
Human-robotic field science
– No operational experience
•
Human-robot interaction
– Sojourner/MER: Ground teleoperation
– MER: Commanded on per-sol basis
=> Laboratory, and some field, demonstrations of long-range navigation (< km per
command cycle), 7DOF arms, meter-deep drilling, single instrument placement,
autonomous science planning and execution, robotic assistants, etc.
Challenges to Mobile Autonomy
autonomous
traverse route
goal
AUTONOMOUS TRAVERSE:
Autonomous traverse, obstacle avoidance, and
position estimation relative to the starting
position. Single vehicle to access all terrain
types, cover long distances, and carry/deploy a
payload.
partial panorama
goal
cameras &
spectrometer
processing and caching
drilling & scooping
APPROACH & INSTRUMENT PLACEMENT:
Autonomous placement of a science instrument
on a designated target, specified in imagery
taken from a stand-off distance. Precise
contact measurements and autonomous
sample manipulation. Drilling to 1000m depth.
Visual servoing/approach to multiple targets in
single command cycle.
ONBOARD SCIENCE:
Autonomous processing of science data
onboard the rover system, for intelligent data
compression, prioritization, anomaly
recognition. Human level cognition and
perception of science opportunities.
SAMPLING:
Sampling, sample processing, and sample
caching through development of controls for
new system components.
Challenges: Lunar Characteristics
• Gravitational Characteristics
• Low gravity: 1/6 Earth’s - low energy
locomotion
• Rotational/Orbital Characteristics
• Communications easy from near side, difficult
from far side, periodic at poles
• Long days, long nights: 14.6 days light, 14.6
days dark
• Sun skims horizon at poles
• Permanent shadows in polar craters
• Earth-to-Moon Characteristics
• 2.5 second round-trip speed-of-light delay
Challenges: Lunar Characteristics
• Impact Craters
• Microcraters: 10-8 - 10-3 meters
• Regolith craters: 10-2 - 103 meters
• Large craters/Impact basins - 102 - 106 meters
• Volcanic Channels, Collapsed Lava Tubes, Mountains
• Regolith
• 2-8 meters deep in maria regions
• 15 meters deep in lunar highlands
• Dust
• Extremely fine, electrostatically charged
Capability Trends
Time Estimates for Space Robotics
Metric
Technology /
Sub-Capability
SOA
Target
Value
Available
Distance traveled per day
Autonomous Navigation
Aerial Traverse
100m
1km
1km
10km
2009
2015
Difficulty of terrain that is
accessible
Autonomous Navigation
VL1
>VL2,
cliffs,
craters
2015
Drilling depth
Sub-Surface Access
10Õs
cms
10-20 ms
2013
Autonomously controlled
manipulator degrees of
freedom
Instrument Placement,
Human-Robot
Interaction
7
10Õs
2020
Command cycles per
sample acquired
Instrument Placement,
Field Science
3-6
1
2009
Command cycles per
sample processed
Field Science
Dozen
s
1-2
2013
Command cycles to
survey/characterize site
Field Science
>100
<20
2020
Percent of interactions
interpreted correctly by
robot
Multi-modal
communication
Behavior tracking
80%
70%
95%
95%
2020
# robots supervised per
human
Human-Robot Field
Science
Co-located Interaction
<<1
3-5
2020
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EXAMPLE: Rover Metrics
LEMUR, JPL
Tethered crater descent
L im b e d e x c u r s io
n r obot f or
Extensib le cooperative
multi-rob ot work
system
Robot Work
Crew
s u r fa c e
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Traversesability (relative to rock area density)
a n d sp a c e
Cliffhanger
—
s t ru c t u r e s
chang
e a b le
has
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Dante II
Q u ic k T
im e ™ a n d a
deco
m pr essor
ar e n
e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
endef f ect o
r
s e n s in
g / t o o lin g
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Cliff-bot
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
70+ degree navigable
cliff descent / ascent
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Au t o n
om o us
u rb a n
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
L EM UR 1
15 kg, 1.5 meter
wheel, 50 cm/sec
r econr eb ot
50%
slope
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
40-
Inflatable
Rover
5 0 d e g r e e s lo p e
acces
( in
LSR
Nanorover
s im u
la t e d
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d a
decom p r essor
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e .
Re c o n
f ig u r a b le r o v e r ,
URBI E
s a m p le c a c h e tr a n s f e r )
7 Kg, 1 meter footprint,
composite construction,
lightweight rover
Sa m p l e
Re t u r n
VL2
Self-righting
2 kg rover
Ro v e r
1 - 3 commands /
ops cycle
MSL
3 - 10 commands /
ops cycle
10 + commands per
operational cycle
M ER
Sojourner
Hyperion
VL1
1
Background image:
MER 2 with Sojourner model
10
100
Mobile Robot Range (meters)
1000
NOMAD
10000
Sortie Missions: Robotics
Proximate Telepresence
•
In many missions, the humans will be near the robots but will be
supervising them from a safe distance (e.g., in a habitat or on orbit).
To facilitate the interaction, the robots should have capabilities
similar to humans (especially in terms of manipulation) and the level
of control between robots and humans should be highly flexible
(“sliding autonomy”). Situational awareness of the supervisor needs
to be high, which can be facilitated with both multi-modal feedback
and high-level interpretation (by the robot) of sensor data.
Safeguarding to prevent harm to the robots is critical.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder Interaction
•
In some missions, humans and robots will be co-located on site,
working together. At a basic level, the robots will need to
understand and communicate with the astronauts using both speech
and gesture. In addition, in many cases they will need to infer
(without communication) the behaviors and intentions of the
astronauts and alter their activities accordingly to support the
astronauts’ goals. Safeguarding to prevent harm to the humans is
critical. (Some risk)
Surface EVA Assistance
• NASA-JSC Boudreaux
– an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Robotic Assistant
• Specific sub-capabilities include:
– Site development (survey, excavation, resource deployments)
– Site maintenance (inspection, repair, assembly, materials transport)
– In situ resource production (robotic support to extraction, transport,
manufacturing)
– Field logistics and operations support (materials & equipment transport &
warehousing)
– Human-robot interaction (H/R task allocation, teleoperation, remote
supervisory control, etc.)
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JSC
Why EVA robots must assist humans
• Humans are necessary for surface
EVAs
– Adaptability, Intelligence, Dexterity
• Robots are necessary for surface EVAs
– Pack mule, extra hand, situational awareness
– Put robots at risk instead of humans
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JSC
Robot Capabilities
•
Have a robot assist an astronaut in deploying science
instruments (e.g. geophones)
•
Various forms of interaction: voice commanding, gesture
recognition, dialogue, full autonomous mode, traded
autonomy
•
Various forms of Capabilities: mobility, manipulation,
autonomous traversal of rugged terrain, tracking of
suited crew member
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Robonaut, JSC
Benefits for Sortie Missions
•
Robotic ISRU, robotic precursor preparation and ongoing
robotic mission support are enabling for due to impact on
sustainability and affordability.
•
Human safety is enhanced through precursor robotic site
preparation.
•
Field operations productivity is enhanced through robotic
“mule” support and robotic mobile communication networking.
•
Astronaut productivity is enhanced by lowering maintenance
and inspection overhead assigned to human crew.
•
Ground-crew interaction productivity is enhanced by improved
human-robot interfaces.
Summary State-of-the-Art
• Robotics has not been used for lunar exploration.
• State-of-art can be indirectly measured from sub-capabilities
with terrestrial deployment, TRL6 and below:
– Site development: Autonomous robotic excavation and site shaping has
been demonstrate by joint CMU – Caterpillar front loader system.
– Site development: Communication infrastructure deployment by various
university research groups in the DARPA Centibots program has set up
networks using robot teams in unexplored urban areas.
– Site maintenance: Dexterous manipulation under teleoperation has been
demonstrated in analog environments by both Ranger and Robonaut
research teams with astronaut glove-level dexterity and 6x slowdown.
– Field logistics and operations support: Long-distance autonomous
navigation has been demonstrated on the order of 100km total distance
traveled.
– Field logistics and operations support: Architectures for perception,
planning and control have demonstrated efficacy in Mars-analog tests at
JPL and Ames.
Deliverables for Capability
Metrics for Sortie Missions
Metric
Technology /
Sub-Capability
SOA
Target
Value
Available
# human
interventions per task
Site development
& maintenance
> 10
<3
2012
Average distance
Field logistics and
navigated per
operations
human intervention support
<100m 1000m+
2020
Proportion of
navigation goals
achieved
Field logistics and
operations
support
96%
(MER)
99%
2020
% reduction of
human cognitive load
Human-robot
interaction
<<
10%
25%
2008
Maximum parallel
human-robot
supervisions
Human-robot
interaction
~1
3+
2020
Cubic meters
excavation per
hour
Robotics for ISRU
?
?
2015
Conclusions
NASA manned and unmanned missions will be carrying out
increasingly challenging tasks on the lunar surface:
•
•
•
•
•
Habitat construction and long term habitation
Mining and in-situ resource utilization
Deep drilling
Scientific laboratory tests currently done only on earth
Biological and habitability analysis
Robotics is key for providing both
enabling and enhancing capabilities
necessary for achieving the goals of
these future missions.