Re: Stereo in space

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

John R. responds:

>Thanks for finding the data. I think it's also interesting that the rover is
>intended to be a test of *autonomous* navigation - a human operator sends
>general location objectives once per "sol" (Mars day), and it's up to the
>rover to figure out how to get to the target location. While I haven't seen
>it in so many words, I gather that the rover finds obstacles, interesting
>target rocks, etc., by use of its stereo imagers plus the laser scanner.

No, the IMP is on the lander, not on the Sojourner Rover.  The Sojourner
does have a camera as well as the laser striping system, but I have
seen no mention of stereo vision with respect to the Rover.

Here's a bit from the Sojourner home page:

"Commands for the microrover are generated and analysis of telemetry is
 performed at the microrover control station, a Silicon Graphics
 workstation which is a part of the MPF ground control operation. At the
 end of each sol of microrover traverse, the camera system on the lander
 takes a stereo image of the vehicle in the terrain. Those images, portions
 of a terrain panorama and supporting images from the microrover cameras
 are displayed at the control station. The operator is able to designate
 on the display points in the terrain which will serve as goal locations
 for the microrover traverse."

So it sounds like they let a human intelligence plot the goal path for
the rover, based on lander imaging, and the rover has enough intelligence
to avoid or traverse the obstacles in its way to the goal points.  The
stereo is for the benefit of the human intelligence.

        -Greg W.


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