PLANETARY ROVERS GREATLY EXTEND THE REACH OF HUMAN EXPLORATION. SO FAR THOUGH THESE ROBOTS HAVE BEEN LONE EXPLORERS LIMITING HOW BOTH OPERATORS AND THE PUBLIC SEE THEM. IMAGERY OF OUR ROBOTIC ADVENTURERS BOLDLY EXPLORING ANOTHER WORLD IS NOW ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN NEAR THE LANDER OR BY STOPPING TO TAKE A SELFIE. DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF THESE ROVERS OPERATORS HAVE ALSO USED THEM VERY CAUTIOUSLY AVOIDING SOME OF THE DESTINATIONS THAT OFFER THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC PAYOUT BECAUSE THEY ENTAIL RISKS TOO GREAT FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROBOT. GIVEN THE HIGH COSTS OF SENDING ROVERS TO EXTRATERRESTRIAL BODIES EVEN THE SMALL POSSIBILITY OF LOSING A PRIMARY ROVER PRECLUDES THE EXPLORATION OF THESE IMPORTANT YET RISKY DESTINATIONS. A PROMISING METHOD OF MITIGATING THE RISKS OF EXPLORING THESE DESTINATIONS IS TO EXPLORE WITH A MULTI ROBOT TEAM SUCH AS A LARGE PRIMARY ROVER ACCOMPANIED BY A SMALLER COMPANION ROVER. IN THIS CONFIGURATION THE MORE EXPENDABLE AND LESS EXPENSIVE COMPANION ROVER CAN EXPLORE TERRAIN DEEMED TOO HAZARDOUS FOR THE PRIMARY ROVER WITHOUT RISKING THE MISSION IF LOST. THE BENEFITS OF THIS SYMBIOTIC ARCHITECTURE EXTEND FAR BEYOND RISK REDUCTION. SYMBIOTIC ROVERS WILL EXPLORE GREATER AREA MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN IS POSSIBLE WITH A SINGLE ROVER. COMPANION ROVERS COULD PRESENT OPERATORS WITH SEPARATE VIEWPOINTS NOT ONLY OF OBJECTS OF INTEREST BUT OF THE ROVERS THEMSELVES. PAIRED ROVERS WILL SERVE AS MOBILE CAMERA CREWS FOR EACH OTHER TAKING STUNNING IMAGERY AND VIDEO OF ROVERS EXPLORING OTHER WORLDS. SUCH VIEWS WILL NOT ONLY ASSIST OPERATORS IN DETERMINING THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH AN OBJECT OR HOW TO MANEUVER A ROVER IF STUCK BUT ALSO TRANSFORM HOW THE PUBLIC VIEWS ROBOTIC PLANETARY EXPLORERS.

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators