ROVER, GO YOUR OWN WAY : SELF-CALIBRATING PSEUDOLITE ARRAY

This article describes a navigation system for Mars rovers that enables the vehicles to deploy autonomously and make sense of their landscape using self-referencing positioning systems. Developed by Stanford University Aerospace Robotics Laboratory and NASA Ames Research Center, it is called a Self-Calibrating Pseudo-Lite Array (SCPA). Instead of determining position through GPS satellite arrays, it consists of stationary GPS pseudolite transceivers in a ground- based array, which provides drift-free, centimeter-level and three- dimensional relative positioning in a local area. When paired with an obstacle-avoidance system, it could enable path planning for short and long traverses. Its locally based navigation would reduce the number of command cycles needed to drive rovers. The self-calibration feature makes unnecessary the previously required a priori survey to determine the precise location of the ground array. Detailed schematics and illustrations of field demonstration. Future research will involve multiple rovers and interactions with aerial surveying systems.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10485104
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Page range: pp 14-16, 18-20, 22
• Corporate Authors:

  Advanstar Communications, Incorporated

  131 West First Street
  Duluth, MN  United States  55802-2065
• Authors:
  • Matsuoka, Michio
  • Rock, S M
  • Bualat, M G
• Publication Date: 2004-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: 7 p.
• Serial:
  • GPS World
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Advanstar Communications, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 1048-5104

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calibration; Global Positioning System; Navigation systems; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mars (Planet); Pseudolite arrays
• Subject Areas: Aviation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00975453
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 6 2004 12:00AM