Article
Robotics
Anthony T. Fragoso, Connor T. Lee, Austin S. McCoy, Soon-Jo Chung
Summary: VTRN offers accurate and drift-free navigation for air and space robots, but is fragile to common seasonal effects and traditional algorithms have poor adaptability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jae-Min Park, Sungchul Hong, Hyu-Soung Shin
Summary: The recent discovery of water ice in the lunar polar shadowed regions (PSRs) has sparked interest in robotic exploration for potential utilization. However, the absence of direct sunlight in the PSRs poses challenges for clear image acquisition, hindering crucial robotic tasks. To address this, a SLAM-based robotic mapping approach combining dense mapping and LLIE methods was proposed and experimentally validated in simulated PSR lighting conditions. Results show that LLIE enhances terrain image quality and clarity, improving overall perception and mapping capabilities in low-light environments.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
John A. Christian, Lillian Hong, Paul McKee, Randall Christensen, Timothy P. Crain
Summary: Image-based terrain relative navigation using visual odometry from a monocular camera without onboard map provides support for safe operation of upcoming lunar exploration missions. Care is needed to achieve best navigation performance, with results showing potential for various types of autonomous navigation. Visual odometry, while not a standalone solution for every mission, is a powerful technique that should be included in every professional spacecraft navigator's toolkit.
JOURNAL OF SPACECRAFT AND ROCKETS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Hechao Ji, Shiqi Li, Jie Chen, Shuxiang Zhou
Summary: On-site human-robot collaboration in lunar exploration is being explored using mixed reality (MR) technology. This proposal suggests using shared MR and optimized perception-localization techniques to facilitate consensus between astronauts and rovers during decision-making processes. A risk-aware lunar terrain parsing method is developed to improve perception, and a customized marker & instance-based spatial anchor method is used for co-location MR. Experiments confirm the benefits of shared MR in improving task performance and reducing workload for astronaut-rover teams during lunar navigation.
MULTIMEDIA TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zefu Gao, Wenge Yang, Hongbin Ma, Fei Teng, Chao Li, Xuejian Li, Yuxin Wang, Yiwen Jiao
Summary: To address the urgent need for precise tracking and reliable cataloging of non-cooperative targets in the Earth-Moon space, this paper proposes a measurement method based on GNSS Inter-Satellite Link and Connected Element Interferometry (CEI). The method includes a mathematical model and provides a full process link budget analysis and performance evaluation. Experimental evaluation verifies the feasibility of the proposed method, which has potential applications in space missions such as Earth-Moon space situational awareness.
Article
Robotics
D. van der Meer, L. Chovet, A. Bera, A. Richard, Pedro Jesus Sanchez Cuevas, J. R. Sanchez-Ibanez, M. Olivares-Mendez
Summary: Space resource utilisation is ushering in a new era of space exploration, with recent scientific discoveries and advances in robotics technology. The Moon is once again becoming a focal point for important space programs, such as ARTEMIS, which aims to use robotics for lunar exploration tasks. Autonomous robots with redundancy mechanisms, like the Resilient Exploration and Lunar Mapping System (REALMS), are introduced to improve the efficiency and success rate of lunar mapping.
FRONTIERS IN ROBOTICS AND AI
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Aerospace
Stefano Pescaglia, Giuseppe Bortolato, Paolo Maggiore, Piero Messidoro
Summary: This paper discusses the importance of exploring geological structures such as lunar lava tubes and proposes the LuNaDrone mission concept for autonomous flight exploration. The paper compares different proposals from institutions and presents the development of critical spacecraft systems for the LuNaDrone mission.
2022 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON METROLOGY FOR AEROSPACE (IEEE METROAEROSPACE 2022)
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Jian Wu, Lili Wang, Hui Zhang, Voicu Popescu
Summary: This article introduces an occlusion management approach that quantifies and localizes occlusions in a virtual environment as a user explores, enhancing exploration efficiency and maintaining spatial awareness and presence. Testing in controlled studies confirmed the approach's efficiency benefits and perceptual experiments showed no detrimental effects on user experience.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Telecommunications
Wenning Gao, Fuzhan Yue, Dingcheng Tang, Peng Liu
Summary: This paper analyzes the characteristics of GNSS signals near the lunar orbit and proposes a method of using ground station for GNSS navigation enhancement to realize lunar GNSS navigation and positioning.
CHINA SATELLITE NAVIGATION CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, CSNC 2022, VOL III
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
ShengYing Zhu, Yi Xiu, DongChen Liu, Ning Zhang, Rui Xu
Summary: This paper proposes an autonomous navigation scheme that optimizes the observability of the navigation system through the analysis of observability and trajectory constraints. Simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method and provide reference and support for China's future binary-asteroid exploration.
SCIENTIA SINICA-PHYSICA MECHANICA & ASTRONOMICA
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Aerospace
Ashten Akemoto, Frances Zhu
Summary: This paper introduces an extension to traditional teach-and-repeat algorithms, which use a teleoperation learning phase to inform an autonomous repetition phase. By sharing pathing data among different agents, the performance of a heterogenous robotic system is explored. A transfer-learning based teach-and-repeat system provides flexible and scalable mobility to a swarm of robots. The research aims to create a distributed system that enables the mobility of robots designed for tasks beyond exploration such as mining and construction.
2023 IEEE AEROSPACE CONFERENCE
(2023)
Article
Mathematics
Yanis Mabed
Summary: In this paper, we study the totally invariant divisors of non-isomorphic endomorphisms in complex projective space. We compute an upper bound for the degree of such divisors and prove the linearity of totally invariant divisors with isolated singularities.
GEOMETRIAE DEDICATA
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
B. Liu, K. Janschek
Summary: Due to the lack of global position and attitude information, only relative state measurements are available for navigation on small solar system bodies like asteroids. Therefore, relative navigation with respect to a local reference frame is essential for autonomous exploration on asteroids. This study presents a relative navigation framework using surfel grid map-based scan-to-map matching for localization and mapping on asteroid surface, along with a terrain-based path planning approach. Thorough validation and comparison studies demonstrate the feasibility of this novel navigation framework in different flight scenarios and tests.
Proceedings Paper
Optics
Jinping Xiao, Yifan Huang, Lin Li, Yangguang Xing
Summary: This paper mainly studied the issue of stray light affecting the Navigation and Terrain Camera of Tianwen-1 Mars Rover in a complex working environment. By analyzing the variation law of irradiance and evaluating the imaging quality and aberration of the optical system, it can be concluded that the influence of stray light can be avoided.
AOPC 2021: OPTICAL SENSING AND IMAGING TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
John A. Christian, John L. Crassidis
Summary: This work provides a comprehensive and systematic framework for invariant-based star identification, showing most past star identification algorithms to be special cases within this framework. The new framework motivates new problems in attitude determination and sensor self-calibration, and introduces new algorithms for simultaneous attitude determination and camera calibration for a generic wide field-of-view sensor.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Christopher A. Ertl, John A. Christian
JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONAUTICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
John A. Christian, Lillian Hong, Paul McKee, Randall Christensen, Timothy P. Crain
Summary: Image-based terrain relative navigation using visual odometry from a monocular camera without onboard map provides support for safe operation of upcoming lunar exploration missions. Care is needed to achieve best navigation performance, with results showing potential for various types of autonomous navigation. Visual odometry, while not a standalone solution for every mission, is a powerful technique that should be included in every professional spacecraft navigator's toolkit.
JOURNAL OF SPACECRAFT AND ROCKETS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
D. P. Moriarty, R. N. Watkins, S. N. Valencia, J. D. Kendall, A. J. Evans, N. Dygert, N. E. Petro
Summary: The distribution of thorium in the South Pole-Aitken Basin is consistent with mantle-derived ejecta influenced by subsequent geologic events. Materials bearing thorium exhibit a titanium-bearing gabbronoritic composition consistent with globally distributed late lunar magma ocean cumulates. South Pole-Aitken impact melt is low-calcium pyroxene-rich and low-thorium, suggesting stratification in the upper mantle at the time of formation.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Paul McKee, Jacob Kowalski, John A. Christian
Summary: The possibility of interstellar scientific missions has been increasingly considered in recent years, with a focus on autonomous navigation. However, traditional methods for star identification are ineffective due to the lack of view invariants for sets of 3D points. Additionally, relativistic effects such as stellar aberration and the relativistic Doppler effect can negatively impact star identification and navigation observability.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Paul McKee, Hoang Nguyen, Michael W. Kudenov, John A. Christian
Summary: StarNAV is a method for inferring an observer's velocity by measuring changes in inter-star angles using starlight. This study explores the effectiveness of using wide field-of-view optical cameras for this purpose. Key algorithmic considerations for processing large star fields are discussed, and a feasible point design with proof-of-concept performance is developed.
Review
Engineering, Aerospace
John A. Christian, Joy Arulraj
JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE CONTROL AND DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Sebastien Henry, John A. Christian
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and theory of triangulation, including various classical algorithms. It also introduces a new linear optimal sine triangulation (LOST) method. Numerical examples are used to evaluate the performance of different algorithms in different applications.
JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE CONTROL AND DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Harm Derksen, Visu Makam, Michael Walter
Summary: This paper studies the sample size thresholds for maximum likelihood estimation for tensor normal models. The study provides a complete answer for both real and complex models, showing that the almost sure boundedness of the log-likelihood function guarantees the existence of maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs).
FORUM OF MATHEMATICS SIGMA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
John A. Christian, William E. Parker
JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE CONTROL AND DYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
John A. Christian, John L. Crassidis
Summary: This work provides a comprehensive and systematic framework for invariant-based star identification, showing most past star identification algorithms to be special cases within this framework. The new framework motivates new problems in attitude determination and sensor self-calibration, and introduces new algorithms for simultaneous attitude determination and camera calibration for a generic wide field-of-view sensor.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
John A. Christian
Summary: The paper discusses how the apparent location of a celestial body’s horizon in a digital image can be used to infer relative position and attitude. It introduces non-iterative and analytically exact methods for all cases, completely replacing older horizon-based methods. Descriptive illustrations and numerical examples are provided to validate the proposed algorithms.
Article
Imaging Science & Photographic Technology
Devin T. Renshaw, John A. Christian
JOURNAL OF IMAGING
(2020)