Rover Graphical Simulator (RGS) is a package of software that generates images of the motion of a wheeled robotic exploratory vehicle (rover) across terrain that includes obstacles and regions of varying traversability. The simulated rover moves autonomously, utilizing reasoning and decision-making capabilities of a fuzzy-logic navigation strategy to choose its path from an initial to a final state. RGS provides a graphical user interface for control and monitoring of simulations.
The numerically simulated motion is represented as discrete steps with a constant time interval between updates. At each simulation step, a dot is placed at the old rover position and a graphical symbol representing the rover is redrawn at the new, updated position. The effect is to leave a trail of dots depicting the path traversed by the rover, the distances between dots being proportional to the local speed. Obstacles and regions of low traversability are depicted as filled circles, with buffer zones around them indicated by enclosing circles. The simulated robot is equipped with onboard sensors that can detect regional terrain traversability and local obstacles out to specified ranges. RGS won the NASA Group Achievement Award in 2002.
This program was written by Bruce Bon and Homayoun Seraji of Caltech for
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more information, download the Technical Support Package (free white paper) at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Karina Edmonds of the California Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322. Refer to NPO-35223.
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Rover Graphical Simulator
(reference NPO-35223) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
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Overview
The document provides a Technical Support Package for the Rover Graphical Simulator, identified by NASA Tech Brief NPO-35223, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It serves as a resource for understanding the advancements in rover technology, particularly in the context of planetary exploration.
The Rover Graphical Simulator is a software application designed to enhance the navigation capabilities of planetary rovers. It incorporates various concepts and methodologies related to traversability indices, which are critical for assessing the ability of rovers to navigate different terrains. The document references several key publications by H. Seraji and collaborators, which outline foundational research in this area. These publications discuss topics such as the Traversability Index, fuzzy logic approaches to terrain navigation, and multi-range traversability indices, all of which contribute to the development of intelligent navigation systems for rovers.
The document emphasizes the importance of terrain-based navigation systems, which utilize sensor data and mapping techniques to enable rovers to make informed decisions while traversing challenging environments. The research highlighted in the document showcases innovative approaches to robot navigation, including behavior-based methods and integrated sensor/map-based navigation strategies.
Additionally, the Technical Support Package is part of NASA's Commercial Technology Program, aimed at disseminating aerospace-related developments that have broader technological, scientific, or commercial applications. It encourages collaboration and innovation by providing access to NASA's research and technology resources.
For further inquiries or assistance, the document provides contact information for the Innovative Technology Assets Management at JPL, including a mailing address, telephone number, and email. It also includes a notice regarding the proprietary nature of the information and the need to comply with U.S. export regulations.
In summary, the document serves as a comprehensive overview of the Rover Graphical Simulator, detailing its significance in the field of planetary rover navigation and the underlying research that supports its development. It highlights NASA's commitment to advancing technology for space exploration while fostering partnerships that can leverage these innovations for broader applications.
