Planetary Rovers

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxix

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 1-35

3. Planetary environments

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 37-57

4. Survey of past rover missions

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 59-69

5. Rover Mobility and Locomotion

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 71-132

6. Rover sensorimotor control systems

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 133-197

7. Rover vision—fundamentals

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 199-262

8. Rover vision—advanced capabilities

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 263-300

9. Autonomous navigation—behaviors and architectures

   • Alex Ellery

   Pages 301-329

10. Autonomous Navigation—Self-localization and Mapping (SLAM)

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 331-374

11. Rover path planning

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 375-418

12. Robotic sample acquisition

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 419-470

13. Onboard autonomous science

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 471-512

14. Case study: Robotic exploration of Europa

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 513-539

15. Future rover concepts

    • Alex Ellery

    Pages 541-561

16. Back Matter

    Pages 563-702

    PDF

The increasing adoption of terrain mobility – planetary rovers – for the investigation of planetary surfaces emphasises their central importance in space exploration. This imposes a completely new set of technologies and methodologies to the design of such spacecraft – and planetary rovers are indeed, first  and foremost, spacecraft. This introduces vehicle engineering, mechatronics, robotics, artificial  intelligence and associated technologies to the spacecraft engineer’s repertoire of skills. Planetary Rovers is the only book that comprehensively covers these aspects of planetary rover engineering and more. The book:

• discusses relevant planetary environments to rover missions, stressing the Moon and Mars;

• includes a brief survey of previous rover missions;

• covers rover mobility, traction and control systems;

• stresses the importance of robotic vision in rovers for both navigation and science;

• comprehensively covers autonomous navigation, path planning and multi-rover formations on other planets;

• introduces sample acquisition and autonomous science – with an emphasis on astrobiology – as the raison d’être of rover missions;

• presents a special case study on the exploration of Europa;

• discusses future rover concepts, including a brief exploration of the role of biomimetics.                                  

• Robotic rover design
• Rover avionics
• Rover locomotion
• ExoMars rover
• Autonomous navigation
• Robotic astrobiology missions

“It aims to be a complete overview of the design, implementation and control of planetary rovers, ranging widely from details of past rovers, through overviews of algorithm research into the process of bidding and managing projects for the European Space Agency (ESA). … it targets a wide audience from final year undergraduates to industry engineers involved with rover development – anyone involved in rover design. … I would recommend this book to anyone working or interested in the field … .” (Dr. Iain Wallace, The Aeronautical Journal, January, 2017)

                                                  

• Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

  Alex Ellery

Professor Alex Ellery is a Canada Research Chair in Space Robotics & Space Technology in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics, MSc in Astronomy and PhD in Astronautics & Space Engineering. He is also an alumnus of the International Space University. He is a Chartered Engineer and holds Fellowships at the Institution of Engineering & Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He was formerly at the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey where he was awarded the George Stephenson medal by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (2005). He was formerly Chair of the Astrobiology Society of Britain (2005/2006).                          

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