Sensor-Fused Navigation and Manipulation for a Planetary Rover

Abstract

This paper describes the development of advanced rover navigation and manipulation techniques for use by NASA's Sample Return Rover. These techniques include an algorithm for estimating the change in the rover's position and orientation by registering successive range maps from the rover's hazard avoidance stereo camera pair and the fusion of this information with the rover's wheel odometry. This map registration technique is also extended to register range maps to an a priori model-based range map for relative rover position and orientation determination. Finally, a technique for the robust and precise positioning of a rover- mounted manipulator using visual feedback from the rover's stereo pair is presented. Experimental results for each of these techniques is documented in this paper.