Sun Synchronous Navigation - Robotics Institute Carnegie Mellon University
Graphical depiction of the Sun Synchronous Navigation project
Sun Synchronous Navigation
Project Head: William (Red) L. Whittaker
Visit External Site

The objective of this research is to discover, express, and exhibit the importance of reasoning about sunlight as it pertains to robotic exploration.

  • We are developing sun-cognizant path and temporal planning software for rovers to dodge shadows, seek sun, and drive sun-synchronous routes. This requires planning capable of autonomous navigation in partially known, time-varying environments with additional considerations of power and thermal management.

  • We are investigating algorithms that incorporate scheduling and temporal reasoning, modeling of light and ephemeris with autonomous navigation.

  • We are prototyping a robot, named Hyperion, to exploit the advantages and meet the challenges of sun-synchrony. We have conceived Hyperion as a vehicle physically capable of speeds of about 1/2 meter per second at a maximum locomotive power consumption of 150W. It has a wheel-base of approximately 2 meters by 2 meters to provide stable support for its 3 square meter, vertically mounted solar panel. The vehicle and power system have mass of approximately 70 kilograms with the sensors, electronics and computing payload adding 50 kilograms and a steady power consumption of 90W. Design refinements and component tests are currently underway.

  • We intend a field experiment in a polar planetary-analog setting in a location of continual direct sunlight. We will collaborate with the NASA Haughton-Mars Project and conduct experiments on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada in July 2001. Our aim is to verify the algorithms for combining sun-seeking with autonomous navigation and to validate the parameters that will allow sun-synchronous explorers to be scaled for other planetary bodies. The viability of sun-synchronous circumnavigation is dependant upon parameters such as planet diameter, axial tilt, rotation period, surface gravity, and solar irradiance.

  • We will scale and generalize results of studies and Earth-bound experiments to other planetary bodies.

    • Displaying 11 Publications

    2005
    Sun-Synchronous Robotic Exploration: Technical Description and Field Experimentation
    David Wettergreen, Paul Tompkins, Christopher Urmson, Michael D. Wagner, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Journal Article, International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 3 - 30, 2005
    2004
    Omnidirectional Visual Odometry for a Planetary Rover
    Peter Ian Corke, Dennis Strelow, and Sanjiv Singh
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of (IROS) IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Vol. 4, pp. 4007 - 4012, September, 2004
    2002
    Stereo Vision Based Navigation for Sun-Synchronous Exploration
    Christopher Urmson, M. Bernardine Dias, and Reid Simmons
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of (IROS) IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Vol. 1, pp. 805 - 810, September, 2002
    First Experiment in Sun-Synchronous Exploration
    David Wettergreen, M. Bernardine Dias, Benjamin Shamah, James Teza, Paul Tompkins, Christopher Urmson, Michael D. Wagner, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of (ICRA) International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 4, pp. 3501 - 3507, May, 2002
    Mission Planning for the Sun-Synchronous Navigation Field Experiment
    Paul Tompkins, Anthony (Tony) Stentz, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of (ICRA) International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 4, pp. 3493 - 3500, May, 2002
    2001
    Steering and Control of a Passively Articulated Robot
    Benjamin Shamah, Michael D. Wagner, Stewart Moorehead, James Teza, David Wettergreen, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of SPIE Sensor Fusion and Decentralized Control in Robotic Systems IV, Vol. 4571, pp. 96 - 107, October, 2001
    A Multiple Information Source Planner for Autonomous Planetary Exploration
    Stewart Moorehead, Reid Simmons, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS '01), June, 2001
    Automated Surface Mission Planning Considering Terrain, Shadows, Resources and Time
    Paul Tompkins, Anthony (Tony) Stentz, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS '01), June, 2001
    Non-Parametric Fault Identification for Space Rovers
    Vandi Verma, John Langford, and Reid Simmons
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS '01), June, 2001
    Robotic Planetary Exploration by Sun-Synchronous Navigation
    David Wettergreen, Benjamin Shamah, Paul Tompkins, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
    Conference Paper, Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS '01), June, 2001

    current head

    Portrait of William (Red) L. Whittaker
    William (Red) L. Whittaker

    current staff

    Portrait of M. Bernardine Dias
    M. Bernardine Dias
    Portrait of Stewart Moorehead
    Stewart Moorehead
    Portrait of Liam Pedersen
    Liam Pedersen
    Portrait of Benjamin Shamah
    Benjamin Shamah
    Portrait of Kimberly Shillcutt
    Kimberly Shillcutt
    Portrait of James Teza
    James Teza
    Portrait of Paul Tompkins
    Paul Tompkins
    Portrait of Christopher Urmson
    Christopher Urmson
    Portrait of Vandi Verma
    Vandi Verma
    Portrait of David Wettergreen
    David Wettergreen

    current contact

    Portrait of David Wettergreen
    David Wettergreen

    past staff

    • Michael D Wagner
    • David D Wilkinson