Abstract:

In this paper we present the experimental results validating the
approach for autonomous planetary  exploration developed in the
Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The goal of this work is to autonomously
navigate to remote locations, well beyond the sensing horizon of the
rover, with minimal interaction with a human operator. We employ LIDAR
range sensors due to their accuracy, long range and robustness in the
harsh lighting conditions of space. Irregular triangular meshes (ITM)
are used for representing the  environment providing  an accurate yet
compact spatial representation. In this paper after a brief overview
of the proposed approach,  we discuss the terrain modelling used. A
variety of experiments  performed in CSA's Mars emulation terrain that
validate our approach are also presented.