Slide 1
A rover cannot wait for every steering instruction
Radio delay prevents a Mars rover from being driven like a nearby remote-controlled car. Teams plan goals while onboard systems handle selected driving decisions.
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Autonomy is assigned within limits rather than granting the rover unlimited freedom. Human planners still choose scientific destinations and constraints that shape the local driving problem.
Slide 2
Stereo cameras estimate the terrain
Perseverance uses camera views to build a three-dimensional understanding of nearby ground. This supports estimates of rocks, slopes and possible hazards.
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A map derived from images has uncertainty and limited visibility. Terrain hidden behind a rock or beyond a crest cannot be treated as known merely because the area appears in an orbital map.
Slide 3
A safe path must fit the whole vehicle
Navigation evaluates whether a route can accommodate the rover’s wheels, body and clearance. A gap that looks open may still be unsuitable.
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Wheel contact and body clearance are separate constraints. A rover can have space for its wheels while risking contact under its chassis, so a path is assessed using vehicle geometry.
Slide 4
Driving updates the estimate
New images and motion estimates help the rover reassess its surroundings as it moves. The next decision uses information unavailable at the start.
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Wheel rotation alone does not perfectly measure progress because wheels can slip. Comparing visual features across images provides additional evidence about actual movement over the surface.
Slide 5
Stopping can be the correct decision
Uncertain or difficult ground may require a pause and revised plan. Autonomous driving improves capability without making every terrain traversable.
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A route’s value includes time, energy, wheel condition and scientific opportunity. The shortest geometric path is not necessarily the best mission choice.
Sources
- NASA’s Self-Driving Perseverance Mars Rover Takes the Wheel
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Robotic Operations During Perseverance’s First Extended Mission
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory