Lunar micro rover design for exploration through virtual reality tele-operation

Abstract

A micro rover, code-named Moonraker, was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of 10kg-class lunar rover missions. Requirements were established based on the Google Lunar X-Prize mission guidelines in order to effectively evaluate the prototype. A 4-wheel skid steer configuration was determined to be effective to reduce mass, maximize regolith traversability, and fit within realistic restrictions on the rover’s envelope by utilizing the top corners of the volume. A static, hyperbolic mirror-based omnidirectional camera was selected in order to provide full 360 ° views around the rover, eliminating the need for a pan/tilt mechanism and motors. A front mounted, motorless MEMS laser scanner was selected for similar mass reduction qualities. A virtual reality interface is used to allow one operator to intuitively change focus between various narrow targets of interest within the wide set of fused data available from these sensors. Lab tests were conducted on the mobility system, as well as field tests at three locations in Japan and Mauna Kea. Moonraker was successfully teleoperated to travel over 900m up and down a peak with slopes of up to 15°. These tests demonstrate the rover’s capability to traverse across lunar regolith and gather sufficient data for effective situational awareness and near real-time tele-operation.