As the complexity of the missions to planetary surfaces increases, so too does the need for
autonomous rover systems. This need is complicated by the power, mass and computer …

The ability of a small rover to operate semi-autonomously in a hazardous planetary
environment was recently demonstrated by the Sojourner mission to Mars in July of 1997 …

As the complexity of the missions to planetary surfaces increases, so too does the need for
autonomous operation of the rover systems. This is coupled with the power, weight and …

Preparation of planetary surface sites prior to a manned mission can be accomplished
through the use of a robotic colony. The task of such a colony would include habitat …

Diverse theories of animal navigation aim at explaining how to determine and maintain a
course from one place to another in the environment, although each presents a particular …

Future missions to the moon, Mars, or other planetary surfaces will use planetary rovers for
exploration or other tasks. Operation of these rovers as unmanned robotic vehicles with …

In this paper, we describe how a mobile robot only controlled by visual information can
retrieve particu-lar goal locations in an open environment according to the level of …

A terrestrial geologist investigates an area by systematically moving among and inspecting
surface features, such as outcrops, boulders, contacts and faults. A planetary geologist must …

Current NASA studies are examining opportunities for the deployment of robot colonies or
outposts on planetary surfaces within the solar system in the first few decades of the 21st …

The recent success of NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers has demonstrated the important
benefits that mobility adds to landed planetary exploration missions. The Canadian Space …