1998 Expedition Science Interface
The 1998 expedition science interface allows this every component of the
science autonomy system (SAS) to be tested. The final implementation of
this interface deals most directly with three components. First, the user
can control the mission planner by specifying a robot task mode: go to
a waypoint, execute a coverage pattern, or take sensor measurements. The
user can also control the details of how the mission planner will coordinate
the science system, such as setting the waypoint tolerance, robot field
of view, and coverage pattern type. The user interface also allows access
to the target sample database. While the interface does not require the
ability to update data on target samples in the database (this should be
done autonomously by the SAS), the user needs to be able to query the database
about information such as images of targets or classifier probabilities.
Finally, the user must control the pan/tilt camera to select new sample
targets. This is one of the most critical aspects of the interface. The
user can pan, tilt, and focus until an acceptable initial, or "template",
image is taken. The user clicks on the target sample in the template image,
and the pan/tilt software inserts the image into the database. Then the
user is prompted to zoom in and select a high-resolution image of the same
target. This image will allow the classifier to determine the target's
color, size, and texture.
With these capabilities, the science interface allows efficient monitoring
and debugging of the entire science autonomy system. Additionally, the
user can get a constant overview of the status of Nomad's critical systems
such as whele motors and navigation control status. Its design is based
on panels, and each panel allows the user to control a different aspect
of the science autonomy system. See the screenshots below for examples.
The database and panoramic panels
The database and real-time monitoring panels
The pan/tilt control and mission planner panels
Return to Expedition
1998 Robotic Technologies.
The database and panoramic panels
The database and real-time monitoring panels
The pan/tilt control and mission planner panels