Working with Robots at NASA

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Working with Robots at NASA !
Presenters Susan Lee DW Wheeler Intelligent
Robotics Group NASA Digital Learning Network
10/07/2009
irg.arc.nasa.gov
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Who we are what we currently do

• Susan Lee (susan.y.lee_at_nasa.gov)
• _at_NASA for 8 years
• Robot Maker
• Lead Hardware Engineer for the Robotics Group
• Project Manager for VERVE Gigapan Voyage

• DW Wheeler (dw.wheeler_at_nasa.gov)
• _at_NASA for 1 year
• Project Manager/Lead for the ATHLETE Footfall
  Project
• Rover Software Engineer

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My Robot The K10 Lunar Rover

• - Lunar Rover Test bed
• - 4 Wheel Drive, 4 Wheel Steer
• - Drives at about 1 meter/s
• - 3D Scanning LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging
  (OpTech) 5mm _at_ 500m
• - FireWire Stereo Cameras (obstacle avoidance)
• - Differential GPS (Novatel, 10 cm accuracy)
• - WIFI 802.11g
• Compass/IMU
• Gigapan for Hi-Res Panoramas
• - 24 LI-Ion Battery packs
• Dell Laptop Brain, Runs Linux RHEL 5
• Most software in C, Python, and Java

Black Point Lava Flow, AZ Field Test April 2009
Haughton Crater, Devon Island (Near the North
Pole) Field Test July 2007
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What is K10 good for?

• Some Background
• During first three years on the Moon, astronauts
  surface lt10 of the time
• Goal
• Reduce unproductive crew time(driving,
  navigating, searching) by means of ROBOTIC RECON
• Other helper tools
• Ground Data Systems (GDS) Provides situational
  awareness and basic planning tools

GE-Ops
Robotic Recon was used Sept 2009 at Black Point
Lava Flow Test
VERVE
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So how did I get here?
Internships
undergrad
masters
My first NASA robot K9 !!
My first robot SlowPoke !!
(fell in love with robots)
My second robot Dralion !!
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Where DW came from
Remote Controlled Aircraft Spring 2005
Lighter Than Air Vehicle Spring 2004
September 2003
1993
January 2004 Mobile Autonomous Systems Lab
Summer 2004 ElectroMagnetic Formation Flight
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Where DW came from
Spacecraft Design Class Fall 2007
October 2005 - June 2006
June 2006 June 2007 Modular Rover for Extreme
Terrain Access
2008 Stanford Nanosatellite Affordable Payload
Solutions
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My Robot ATHLETE
- Moves astronaut habitats - Six legs, six
wheels - Seven CPUs - Twelve stereo camera
pairs - 850 kg - Three 120 VAC 13A circuits - 10
km/h
Mars Yard, JPL. June 2009
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Making ATHLETE walk
- Analyze the ground - Pick where to step - Find
intermediate leg positions
- Find joint angles for each intermediate
position - Display plan to operator - Execute step
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Making ATHLETE walk the movie