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From: kandt@ai-jupiter.JPL.NASA.GOV (Kirk Kandt)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: CM Ambler Rover
Message-ID: <8528@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>
Date: 28 Jun 90 17:32:36 GMT
References: <3708@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <95816@philabs.Philips.Com> <8485@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV> <72@tucson.sie.arizona.edu>
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In article <72@tucson.sie.arizona.edu>, bill@tucson.sie.arizona.edu
(Bill Ganoe) writes:
... <deleted> ...
|>    Granted, the micro-rover approach wasn't even feasible until we could
|> miniaturize the sensors, control and communications hardware sufficiently
|> (and people started work on mini-rovers themselves), but it would be
|> encouraging to hear about more serious consideration of mini-rover
|> approach to lunar and planetary exploration.
|> -- 

A long time ago when I worked in computer vision at Hughes Research Labs
we had a project funded by Army/DARPA for autonomous vehicles.  This was
before the Strategic Computing Project.  The biggest technological
problem that we had was to prevent the vehicle from falling into bomb
craters, and if it did to get it out.  In real-world environments a
vision system will fail (on occasion) to detect such hazards.  In such a
case, the vehicle must understand what occured and rely on mechanical
means to get out.  We found a millipede-like object (on wheels) that
could climb loading docks.  This platform was large (about 12 feet)
which gave it the ability to get out.  So, if a mini-rover happens to
fall into a moon crater, for example, how does it get out?