Autonomous Regolith Extraction Using Real-Time Diagnostics and Dynamic Plan Execution for 1 Meter Class Interplanetary Rotary-Percussive Drills

Stucky, T.; Bergman, D.; Glass, B.; Dave, A.

doi:10.1061/9780784481899.035

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…It was rewritten in the NASA ARC-developed PLEXIL (plan execution language) to allow for a higher degree of modularity and on-the-fly modification or updates of diagnostics and recovery procedures. More detail on PLEXIL and sample acquisition and drilling robotics is given in Stucky et al ( 2018 ) and Glass et al ( 2021 ). The automated drill diagnostics and fault recovery were implemented in the field test but, for most of the test, it was not triggered because the drilling went smoothly in most holes that had only a few hard material encounters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mission Simulating the Search for Life on Mars with Automated Drilling, Sample Handling, and Life Detection Instruments Performed in the Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert, Chile

Stoker,

Glass,

Stucky

et al. 2023

Astrobiology

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We report on a field demonstration of a rover-based drilling mission to search for biomolecular evidence of life in the arid core of the Atacama Desert, Chile. The KREX2 rover carried the Honeybee Robotics 1 m depth The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploration of New Terrains (TRIDENT) drill and a robotic arm with scoop that delivered subsurface fines to three flight prototype instruments: (1) The Signs of Life Detector (SOLID), a protein and biomolecule analyzer based on fluorescence sandwich microarray immunoassay; (2) the Planetary In Situ Capillary Electrophoresis System (PISCES), an amino acid analyzer based on subcritical water extraction coupled to microchip electrophoresis analysis; and (3) a Wet Chemistry Laboratory cell to measure soluble ions using ion selective electrodes and chronopotentiometry. A California-based science team selected and directed drilling and sampling of three sites separated by hundreds of meters that included a light-toned basin area showing evidence of aqueous activity surrounded by a rocky desert pavement. Biosignatures were detected in basin samples collected at depths ranging from 20 to 80 cm but were not detected in the surrounding area. Subsurface stratigraphy of the units drilled was interpreted from drill sensor data as fine-scale layers of sand/clay sediments interspersed with layers of harder material in the basins and a uniform subsurface composed of course-to-fine sand in the surroundings. The mission timeline and number of commands sent to accomplish each activity were tracked. The deepest sample collected (80 cm) required 55 commands, including drilling and delivery to three instruments. Elapsed time required for drilling and sample handling was less than 3 hours to collect sample from 72 cm depth, including time devoted to recovery from a jammed drill. The experiment demonstrated drilling, sample transfer technologies, and instruments that accomplished successful detection of biomolecular evidence of life in one of the most biologically sparse environments on Earth.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mission Simulating the Search for Life on Mars with Automated Drilling, Sample Handling, and Life Detection Instruments Performed in the Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert, Chile

Stoker,

Glass,

Stucky

et al. 2023

Astrobiology

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“…The ARADS onboard autonomy software (Glass et al, 2018 ; Stucky et al, 2018 ) performs fault monitoring, safing, sequencing, and real-time tasking and scheduling, using the NASA developed Plan Execution Interchange Language (PLEXIL). Drill and sample handling systems must be able to perform completely hands off and operate for hours at a time, between periodic uplinks and downlinks.…”

Section: Arads System Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drill and sample handling systems must be able to perform completely hands off and operate for hours at a time, between periodic uplinks and downlinks. The ARADS architecture (Stucky et al, 2018 ) has a central software executive with a diagnostic software module, which work together while monitoring and adapting to changing rover, drill, and instrument conditions and states. Kinematic and dynamic models in the onboard software provide for detection and adjustment of the drilling and sampling angles to accommodate the orientation of the rover wheels and chassis.…”

Section: Arads System Componentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) Project

Glass,

Bergman,

Parro

et al. 2023

Astrobiology

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With advances in commercial space launch capabilities and reduced costs to orbit, humans may arrive on Mars within a decade. Both to preserve any signs of past (and extant) martian life and to protect the health of human crews (and Earth's biosphere), it will be necessary to assess the risk of cross-contamination on the surface, in blown dust, and into the near-subsurface (where exploration and resource-harvesting can be reasonably anticipated). Thus, evaluating for the presence of life and biosignatures may become a critical-path Mars exploration precursor in the not-so-far future, circa 2030. This Special Collection of papers from the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) project describes many of the scientific, technological, and operational issues associated with searching for and identifying biosignatures in an extreme hyperarid region in Chile's Atacama Desert, a well-studied terrestrial Mars analog environment. This paper provides an overview of the ARADS project and discusses in context the five other papers in the ARADS Special Collection, as well as prior ARADS project results.

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