FIDO prototype Mars rover field trials, Black Rock Summit, Nevada, as test of the ability of robotic mobility systems to conduct field science

Abstract

[1] The Field Integration Design and Operations (FIDO) prototype Mars rover was deployed and operated remotely for 2 weeks in May 2000 in the Black Rock Summit area of Nevada. The blind science operation trials were designed to evaluate the extent to which FIDO-class rovers can be used to conduct traverse science and collect samples. FIDO-based instruments included stereo cameras for navigation and imaging, an infrared point spectrometer, a color microscopic imager for characterization of rocks and soils, and a rock drill for core acquisition. Body-mounted ''belly'' cameras aided drill deployment, and front and rear hazard cameras enabled terrain hazard avoidance. Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, a high spatial resolution IKONOS orbital image, and a suite of descent images were used to provide regional-and local-scale terrain and rock type information, from which hypotheses were developed for testing during operations. The rover visited three sites, traversed 30 m, and acquired 1.3 gigabytes of data. The relatively small traverse distance resulted from a geologically rich site in which materials identified on a regional scale from remotesensing data could be identified on a local scale using rover-based data. Results demonstrate the synergy of mapping terrain from orbit and during descent using imaging and spectroscopy, followed by a rover mission to test inferences and to make discoveries that can be accomplished only with surface mobility systems.

Localization of Mars rovers using descent and surface‐based image data

“…Following the Field Integrated Design and Operations (FIDO) rover test in 20–29 April 1999, at Silver Lake, California [ Arvidson et al , 2002], an experiment of descent imaging simulation was carried out using a helicopter‐borne imaging system consisting of differential GPS receivers, an inertial navigation system (INS), and a digital camera. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Fairchild Semiconductors, the CCD chip has 4096 × 4096 pixels and an imaging area of 60 mm by 60 mm (15‐micron pixel size).…”

Remotely sensed geology from lander‐based to orbital perspectives: Results of FIDO rover May 2000 field tests

“…Initial observations at the landing sites included mosaics made with the Pancam false‐color infrared stereo imaging system (∼0.65, 0.75, and 0.85 μm). At LS1 a 180° full‐resolution color stereo panoramic image was obtained to the front and sides of the rover from a simulated landing platform prior to ground deployment [ Arvidson et al , 2002]. Thereafter, the panoramic imager was used selectively, because of field‐test time and weather constraints, to obtain high‐resolution color images of key targets.…”

“…Parts of this rock not covered by lichens appeared to be dark and red, suggesting that the coating might be desert varnish or alteration on an Fe‐bearing rock substrate and that this rock type might represent one of the ledge‐forming units cropping out high on the escarpment and visible in descent images (see Figure 1b). An attempt to core this rock was unsuccessful because of problems with the deployment mechanism of the MiniCorer [see Arvidson et al , 2002]; however, the coring bit abraded a small patch of the rock, revealing a light‐colored subsurface or grinding dust. Effective masking by surface coatings and lack of positive IPS mineral identification made this lithology difficult to interpret; however, if it derived from just beneath the basalt flow, the reddish coloration might in part have resulted from local alteration associated with the emplacement of the basalt flow.…”

“…The COT had no knowledge of the specific field location; thus the tests were done “blind.” COT members rotated through the control center at JPL for stints that ranged from part of a day to several days and worked with engineers to design and command experiments and to interpret results using the Web Interface for Telescience (WITS) [ Backes et al , 1997]. In addition to data obtained from FIDO rover instruments, the COT primarily used aerial photography and Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data and simulated descent color images acquired by helicopter before the tests [ Arvidson et al , 1998, 2002]. Tests were done at two simulated landing sites located several hundred meters apart (Figure 1).…”

“…Testing at the first site (LS1) was accomplished using only the FIDO rover; testing at the second site (LS2) involved a second rover (NASA Ames K9) as a scout [ Stoker et al , 2002]. Although many different kinds of observations must be made on landed missions such as Mars Pathfinder and Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), the COT focused mainly on the scientific investigation of rock types and geologic relationships in this field test; other test results are discussed by Arvidson et al [2002], Haldemann et al [2002], and Wiens et al [2002].…”