Robotic Drone Navigation in Complex Terrains for NASA's Space Exploration
Disciplines
Aeronautical Vehicles | Computer-Aided Engineering and Design | Other Aerospace Engineering | Other Mechanical Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Over the past decades, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, have seen an uptick in popularity in both civilian and governmental sectors. In more recent years, the use of UAVs for space exploration has garnered significant interest, culminating in NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. Concurrently, soft robotic technologies have developed significantly. Characterized by soft, elastic materials and sequential inflation-driven, or tendon-driven actuation, soft robots offer many degrees of freedom for intricate motion. Soft robotic technologies are promising for navigation in complex terrains, as their almost organic movement and characteristics allow them to be more adaptable than their typical mechanical counterparts. This study aims to develop a novel quadruped, tendon-driven, soft robotic walker in conjunction with a drone for navigation of complex terrain on the surface of Mars. The promising union of drone and walker technologies allows greater range of exploration of Mars’ surface, proven in the limited cooperation between NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter and Perseverance rover. The usage of soft robotic technology will expand this range further yet. First, a preliminary literature review was conducted to find common issues with current rover designs, concluding that soft robotic legs may mitigate the limited mobility provided by wheels. Using SolidWorks for 3D design and an Arduino MEGA for C++ coding, a limited prototype of a soft robotic walker was created. In addition, MATLAB Simulink was utilized to conduct simulations testing drone flight characteristics in a Mars-like environment. A secondary aim of this study was to conduct a more comprehensive literature review. With these findings, a review paper on the terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications of drones was created, with plans to be published externally. Future work on this project will allow for more advanced maneuvering with the walker, a fully functional drone prototype, and communication between these two systems to allow efficient exploration.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Turaj Ashuri
Robotic Drone Navigation in Complex Terrains for NASA's Space Exploration
Over the past decades, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, have seen an uptick in popularity in both civilian and governmental sectors. In more recent years, the use of UAVs for space exploration has garnered significant interest, culminating in NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. Concurrently, soft robotic technologies have developed significantly. Characterized by soft, elastic materials and sequential inflation-driven, or tendon-driven actuation, soft robots offer many degrees of freedom for intricate motion. Soft robotic technologies are promising for navigation in complex terrains, as their almost organic movement and characteristics allow them to be more adaptable than their typical mechanical counterparts. This study aims to develop a novel quadruped, tendon-driven, soft robotic walker in conjunction with a drone for navigation of complex terrain on the surface of Mars. The promising union of drone and walker technologies allows greater range of exploration of Mars’ surface, proven in the limited cooperation between NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter and Perseverance rover. The usage of soft robotic technology will expand this range further yet. First, a preliminary literature review was conducted to find common issues with current rover designs, concluding that soft robotic legs may mitigate the limited mobility provided by wheels. Using SolidWorks for 3D design and an Arduino MEGA for C++ coding, a limited prototype of a soft robotic walker was created. In addition, MATLAB Simulink was utilized to conduct simulations testing drone flight characteristics in a Mars-like environment. A secondary aim of this study was to conduct a more comprehensive literature review. With these findings, a review paper on the terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications of drones was created, with plans to be published externally. Future work on this project will allow for more advanced maneuvering with the walker, a fully functional drone prototype, and communication between these two systems to allow efficient exploration.