Incremental Bundle Adjustment Techniques using Networked Overhead and Ground Imagery for Long-range Autonomous Rover Localization in MSL 2009 Mission and Beyond
Participants | Timeline | Overview | Links

Participants

Principal Investigator: Dr. Rongxing Li, The Ohio State University
Co-Investigators:     Dr. Kaichang Di, The Ohio State University
                               Dr. Larry Matthies, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
                               Dr. Reg Willson, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Collaborator:           Dr. Ray Arvidson, Washington University at St. Louis

Timeline   June 2004 - May 2007

Overview

This project will develop an image network based bundle adjustment system for long-range (>5km) autonomous rover localization that will enhance the overall rover localization from its current accuracy of 10% to 0.2%. The advantages of this new localization technology include a) strong geometric control through an image network for long-range rover traversing and rover operations in remote areas of the landing site, b) high accuracy all over the extended landing site without rapid error accumulation, and c) use of remote landmarks for improved rover navigation using overhead (orbital images and descent images if available) and ground imagery (panoramas and traversing images). 

The objectives of the first two years are to:

1) Complete an incremental bundle adjustment system that is responsible for onboard real-time rover localization (1% accuracy) using images acquired within each sol,
2) Complete an Earth-based bundle adjustment system that updates the rover positions at a high accuracy of 0.2% sol by sol through uplinks using images acquired within the last three sols,
3) Development of an integrated bundle adjustment system that provides the best rover positions and image pointing data every three sols using all available images of the landing site, and
4) Complete the onboard software needed for the MSL 2009 mission.

The objectives of the third year are to:

1) Continue and complete the development of the integrated bundle adjustment system,
2) Develop enhanced mapping algorithms for rover paths, DEMs, and orthoimages using the bundle adjusted images, and
3) Integrate the system into CLARAty.

The bundle adjustment technology research was initiated by the joint OSU and JPL team in 1998. The Earth based localization will be a part of the science experiments in MER 2003. Experiments in the JPL Mars yard and a field test at Silver Lake, CA, will be conducted.

This project will enhance the rover capability of long-range rover localization and hazard detection and avoidance in an extended landing site (>5km) for the MSL 2009 mission and future NASA Mars science investigations. The developed software system will allow the rover to traverse in an extended landing site (>5km) with an increased accuracy for both real-time (1%) and Earth-based (0.2%) localization computations. It will be the first time that the landmarks in overhead images (orbital and/or descent) will be integrated with ground images in a bundle adjustment model to achieve the optimal estimation of rover positions and attitudes. The enhanced localization and mapping capabilities are extremely important for long-range rover science exploration tasks in the MSL 2009 mission and future Mars landed missions, such as sampling at repeated spots, long-range traversing to find a desired target shown in overhead images, and coordinated sampling involving accurate positions of several locations and several instruments.


Additional Information

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) 2009
    NASA Announcement http://centauri.larc.nasa.gov/msl/
    NASA MSL website http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/msl.html

News Stories
    MSNBC "NASA moves fast toward next Mars rover"




For more information, contact Dr. Rongxing Li, li.282@osu.edu