TRESSA: Teamed robots for exploration and science on steep areas

• Published in: Journal of Field Robotics
• Main Authors: Huntsberger, Terry, Stroupe, Ashley, Aghazarian, Hrand, Garrett, Mike, Younse, Paulo, Powell, Mark
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007
• Subjects: Arctic; Svalbard; Norway; Tressa
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rob.20219; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Frob.20219; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/rob.20219

Abstract Long‐duration robotic missions on lunar and planetary surfaces (for example, the Mars Exploration Rovers have operated continuously on the Martian surface for close to 3 years) provide the opportunity to acquire scientifically interesting information from a diverse set of surface and subsurface sites and to explore multiple sites in greater detail. Exploring a wide range of terrain types, including plains, cliffs, sand dunes, and lava tubes, requires the development of robotic systems with mobility enhanced beyond that which is currently fielded. These systems include single as well as teams of robots. TRESSA (Teamed Robots for Exploration and Science on Steep Areas) is a closely coupled three‐robot team developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that previously demonstrated the ability to drive on soil‐covered slopes up to 70 deg. In this paper, we present results from field demonstrations of the TRESSA system in even more challenging terrain: rough rocky slopes of up to 85 deg. In addition, the integration of a robotic arm and instrument suite has allowed TRESSA to demonstrate semi‐autonomous science investigation of the cliffs and science sample collection. TRESSA successfully traversed cliffs and collected samples at three Mars analog sites in Svalbard, Norway as part of a recent geological and astrobiological field investigation called AMASE: Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition under the NASA ASTEP (Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets) program. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.