Vision-Aided Navigation for a Free-Flying Unmanned Robotic System to Support Interplanetary Bodies Prospecting and Characterization Missions

摘要: This paper investigates vision-aided navigation strategies for an autonomous free-flying robotic vehicle designed to explore interplanetary bodies, such as moons or asteroids, the purposes of In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). ISRU has potential facilitate planetary exploration by drawing needed resources, water, from local environment. The realization requires development advanced unmanned space systems integrated with sample-capture devices and guidance, navigation, control capable supporting challenging environments craters lava tubes. Navigation on bodies is due unavailability traditional sesnors GPS magnetometers. focuses use one more vision sensors augment onboard inertial measurement unit, which composed accelerometers rate gyros, in order provide solutions free-flyer system. this study, a strategy considered that entails using object detection tracking algorithms identify known landmarks scene, provides information can be used estimate position within Vision-aided filters are developed stereo implementation landmark tracking, implemented video obtained flights quadrotor UAV at Hazard Field NASA Kennedy Space Center.