tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71088761933293115782024-03-18T21:54:41.558-07:00Mars NorCal RoverBlogging the Mars Society / NASA Ames Science Rover ProjectUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-82842249939989807222017-11-07T18:52:00.001-08:002017-11-07T20:34:12.329-08:00Santa Rose Fires and the Science Discovery DayThe 7th annual North Bay Science Discovery Day on October 28 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa was an astounding success!<br />
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The NorCal chapter took the rover and base stations for a hands on demonstration in Santa Rosa. Our group was not sure whether the event will be held or not, whether the public will be there or not. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_2017_Northern_California_wildfires">The fires</a> that swept through the area were some of the worst in decades if not in the century.<br />
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In the words of our own Scott Davis:<br />
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<i>"This area suffered from the recent terrible fires and I thought they might end up cancelling the event, but they're still planning on holding it in order to instill a sense of normalcy to the community and have something for the kids to do. So our participation in this event will be a way our chapter can help the people in this community who are rebuilding."</i><br />
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We did participate and it was a resounding success both for our group but also for the community and all the other exhibitors. Here's just some of the feedback from the community.<br />
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<i>"Thank you for holding the science festival! I, along with about 3,000 others in Santa Rosa, lost our homes in the horrible fires. My son, his friends, and others in Sonoma County had a great time at the [NBSDD}! We cannot thank you enough for holding the event here." ~~ Kim</i><br />
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<i>""Just wanted to congratulate you and your team on another NBSDD! Considering the circumstances of the prior weeks, it's fantastic that this event still went on and became a gathering space for kids and people interest in science." ~~ Victor</i><br />
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<i>"I am so happy to be here as a volunteer today! I lost my home in the fire, and my family decided to move into my mother's abandoned farm house. For two weeks I have done nothing but clean, cry, and clean. I am so happy to have a break that involves happy faces and a change of pace. Thank you!" ~~ Marie</i><br />
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The kids were absolutely enthusiastic about the event, many kids spent hours in the various labs and hands on science activities. Kids consistently said that they "wanted to rebuild Santa Rosa." It was a cathartic even for many. The NBSDD makes a huge difference every year, but this year its impact went beyond just science or technology. It was a true display of community using the tools of science to further everyday lives, rebuild communities and prevents catastrophies like this in the future.<br />
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We are proud as a Mars NorCal chapter to have the privilege to be part of this event. Well done everyone.<br />
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Some fun stats from the event:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 25px;">194</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">pounds</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">The amount of giant Humboldt squid dissected by kids.</span><br />
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<hr style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 25px;">8</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">gallons</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">The amount of glue at Medtronic's booth to produce 1,000 bags of slime.</span><br />
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<br style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 25px;">1,700</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">spoons</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">Used by the Buck Institute for tasting instant ice cream.</span><br />
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<br style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 25px;">5,600</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">Views </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_110569382" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204 , 204 , 204); color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">in one day</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;"> on SnapChat through NBSDD geofilter.</span><br />
<hr style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 25px;">1,500</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">views</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">Watching KZST's DJ Brent Farris using FaceBook Live at NBSDD.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;">Cost to anyone who attended.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: grey; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-78350807779286585782016-02-26T09:41:00.000-08:002016-02-26T09:41:13.870-08:00Spring Outreach Events<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745540" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">We have a number of events slated for spring 2016. Here is a short list of events where chapter members and rover project staff will participate.</span></span></div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745540" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745540" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">March 4</span></span>: La Tercera Elementary - Salute to STEM (Sonoma County)</div>
We still need a few more volunteers to help train children in operating the rover. This will be one more in the series of STEM events at local Bay Area schools. We cover not only the Bay Area but surrounding communities as well.<br /><br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745541" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">April 1 - 3</span></span>: Contact - Domain Hotel, Sunnyvale</div>
A Science and SciFi conference featuring Dr. Chris McKay, Larry Niven, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Andy Weir. The chapter has registered us to have a presentation table. A good opportunity to present the program and interact with scientists and space enthusiasts who will be present at the conference. Perhaps we recruit a few more members as we did in past events.<br /><br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745542" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">April 8 - 10</span></span>: Death Valley Marsfest 2016 (Celestial Centennial)</div>
Dr. Rosalba Bonaccorsi from NASA Ames is organizing this event and we will be setting up a table with our rover. We are thinking of renting a vehicle (SUV or van) and carpooling there. We will be camping out as well. We are still deciding in the exact dates we will attend.<br /><br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745543" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">April 16</span></span>: Mark West Elementary School Science Fair, Santa Rosa</div>
We were invited back to put up a display at this science fair again. We have several chapter members already lined up for this event.</div>
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<br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2085745544" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">May 20 - 22</span></span>: Maker Faire</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> The chapter has submitted an application for our exhibit booth at the Maker Faire in San Mateo again this year. We are asusming it will be accepted. This is not the first time we have presence at the Maker Faire and as in years past we expect it to be an outreach success. Volunteers will be needed to help at our exhibit in shifts.</span><br />
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Mike Stoltz, Mars Society's Director of Media & Public Relations posted a video of highlights from the University Rover Challenge 2013 held at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.</div>
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The University Rover Challenge challenges teams of science and engineering students to build a rover for a theoretical Mars mission. Each rover must meet a weight requirement and be remotely controlled by the students.<br />
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From May 30 to June 1, teams from the United States, Canada, Poland, and India competed on several courses meant to test their rover’s designs and technology in a quest for bragging rights and a winner-takes-all $5,000 cash prize. The challenges included navigating through gates over varied terrain, dropping science packages at designated sites, and excavating material that could be analyzed for signs of life.</div>
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Some teams were funded by large corporations like Boeing and Microsoft while others, like the SRM University team from India, had a total budget of $4,000. This included the cost of building the rover and travel for the more than half dozen of its members. While other teams’ rovers had state-of-the-art suspension and power systems, SRM showed up with a batch of radio controlled car batteries and electrical tape.<br />
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But overcoming these challenges was the point to the competition. If rovers are going to assist humans in the exploration of Mars, communication system and structural reliability will be critical. That, and probably a healthy dose of electrical tape.<br />
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This robot competition happened the week after Judd, Eric, Forest, and Scott finished their closing Mars NorCal engineering crew rotation and prepared our research rover Sandstorm for transport back to the Bay Area.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-39410477735861061122012-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:002012-05-23T15:10:01.797-07:00Maker Faire 2012The NorCal Mars Society chapter attended the <a href="http://makerfaire.com/">2012 Maker Faire</a> in San Mateo and set up an exhibit booth for the rover project. The faire was bustling with activity this year and there were lots of people stopping by our booth to discuss our rovers and our chapter.<br />
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Our Phoenix rover, despite some technical difficulties due to WiFi interference, was operational and we gave visitors to our booth the opportunity to drive it around the nearby walkway. We had a nearly constant line of kids waiting for their chance to drive the rover.<br />
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We had a great time at the Maker Faire this year and look forward to coming back next year with another rover exhibit booth.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351558200110419313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-64252100933406125592011-11-26T21:59:00.000-08:002011-11-26T22:14:28.463-08:00Mars, Rovers, The NorCal ChapterMembers of the NorCal Chapter attended for the second time in a row the Maker Faire event in San Mateo, California. Its an event which always brings together a large number of technology and tinkering enthusiasts and seasoned professionals who share a passion for making things. We had a presence together with our NASA Ames colleagues. The rover display attracted many visitors, and initiated a number of conversations revolving around rover hardware and software and the exploration of Mars, future missions on it, and the prospects of one day landing a human mission and building a settlement. For now, we fill our time in exploring different scenarios, mission configurations and software revision on Earth based Mars analogs. <br /><br />Our chapter member Jon Cox gives a brief overview of the chapter and our current work in the video shot at the Maker Faire.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_Lx5vqXPGps" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-5680472490282224382011-11-22T12:40:00.000-08:002011-11-22T19:19:29.496-08:00Meyerholz Elementary School PresentationNorCal Mars Society members Jon Cox and Scott Davis presented the Sandstorm rover at Meyerholz Elementary School in San Jose on October 5th, 2011. Scott gave a presentation to an audience of third and fifth-grade students about the planet Mars and how astronauts may someday use robot rovers to assist them in exploring it. The students had been studying the solar system and were very excited about Mars. Sandstorm then drove out and greeted the students. The rover's camera view was projected on the screen for the students to see. Miss Peng's third-grade class was able to stay after the presentation and each student got a chance to operate the rover. Special thanks to Sylvia Leong for inviting us and helping organize the presentation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzBuvlyB5lJhhJkdDBTt2WFgNhTbb51zaCr3ywHTk7I35W74rsjVaOyJh4eUXKUVlxMFubYtQ_C1FopW-fAqd1_zVVT7fKWpAbIrCfK93rAaUEjUZp2UZ2LmVuZX3rVHjLlRGRxNUMqsQ/s1600/IMG_2509_small.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzBuvlyB5lJhhJkdDBTt2WFgNhTbb51zaCr3ywHTk7I35W74rsjVaOyJh4eUXKUVlxMFubYtQ_C1FopW-fAqd1_zVVT7fKWpAbIrCfK93rAaUEjUZp2UZ2LmVuZX3rVHjLlRGRxNUMqsQ/s400/IMG_2509_small.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678016998733841410" /></a>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351558200110419313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-33943007078575912502011-05-21T14:06:00.000-07:002011-06-05T20:29:49.463-07:00Science Alliance ShowcaseMembers of the NorCal MS Chapter (Jon Cox, Scott Davis, Boris Debic) took part in the Science Alliance Showcase event at the Warm Springs elementary School in Freemont. It was a full day event with several in-class presentations and rover demonstrations finishing off with a "Why go to Mars?" (And why study engineering and science) lecture for students at the end of the day. After getting the rovers back with fresh data from the MDRS deployment in the Utah desert it was a fitting followup in our outreach activites program. Here's in <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18146568?nclick_check=1">Clyde Mann</a>'s own words:<br /><br />"Our students had the opportunity to hear about and see the Norcal Mars Rover Project present throughout the day. The presentation was to over 800 students, cluminating in a big school assembly at the end of the day. I was fortunate to see parts of the final presentation. It was hot and sweaty in our multi-purpose room, yet Boris Debic singlehandedly kept the students illuminated and attentive by his fantastic sense of humor, and the idea that we are explorers and will always look for new frontiers. Celebrities, politicians (not statesmen), fortune 500 CEO’s, and Venture Capitalists don’t move me. What you brought to the students was truly inspiring. All I can say is that the next day, students with their eyes bulging out in excitement, could not stop talking about the presentation and loved the rovers."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5FuvomoaPJc/Td8V2kfRAMI/AAAAAAAAS08/ixgDyE28ID4/s800/img_0489.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 533px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5FuvomoaPJc/Td8V2kfRAMI/AAAAAAAAS08/ixgDyE28ID4/s800/img_0489.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-807FAN8QlAs/Td8V4qFX3MI/AAAAAAAAS1I/euEiz0G5jdg/s800/img_0485.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 533px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-807FAN8QlAs/Td8V4qFX3MI/AAAAAAAAS1I/euEiz0G5jdg/s800/img_0485.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-89224041468209836192010-04-14T07:28:00.000-07:002010-04-26T14:51:31.969-07:00Zzyzx Spaceward Bound Trip (March 28th - April 2nd, 2010)I've returned from a week-long trip to Zzyzx, CA with other members of the rover team and participants in the NASA Spaceward Bound project. Our group included a number of educators, scientists, and science students who worked on several different science projects during the week, such as science balloons, lava tube caving, and underwater microscopy. Our rover team provided one of the science projects with the participants operating the rovers out in different field environments each day. We operated on and around old lava flows, inside a lava tube, on a dry lake salt flat, and at night using a light attached to the rover's camera turret.<br /><br />One of the highlights from the trip having the 5th grade students from Rob Palassou's Science Club from San Francisco operate one of the rovers at Zzyzx. They were broken up into teams of two students, where one team would hide an orange road cone within a bounded area, and another team would have ten minutes to search for it using the rover. The rover operating team were located in a nearby building and could only use the rover's camera to find the cone. The teams were cycled through so all the kids had a chance to hide and also search for the cone. Of the seven teams, two were successful at finding the cone target. All of the kids seemed to really enjoy the experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXnHzZ0sRqeyj9ZxDM9L_V3cQaLTEvRLfn1oigxbNaK4o9NEEQrhkbwYDdNVMz9QyExmsHSenjcOK6sT9jDrEdDUXXp0sAnrM8RC59tilaPgndTGDcDjHV5h0uJLs4DB4FwY-4jehu4Sa/s1600/img_0402.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXnHzZ0sRqeyj9ZxDM9L_V3cQaLTEvRLfn1oigxbNaK4o9NEEQrhkbwYDdNVMz9QyExmsHSenjcOK6sT9jDrEdDUXXp0sAnrM8RC59tilaPgndTGDcDjHV5h0uJLs4DB4FwY-4jehu4Sa/s200/img_0402.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460001370825399730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One the last day of the field operations, we set up a boom WIFI antenna on a hill at the Zzyzx science station and drove one of the rovers out on the dry lake salt flats to see how far it could get before the communication became too weak. The rover made it about half a mile away from base before it lost communication and we had to trudge out onto the muddy salt flats to retrieve it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE62-TUfHwbkvsDNW_YznUpG2Otr2gJslZltLEfh2i8gjKQfyn2MirGwisubiMSn_3vJUMOlyyKmWnk0-_XUOSxfA-DPY2siEPEXNCAs3gHg5gXzACdK3MjJq7w69wPgTZvLMX9d6A29ab/s1600/img_0423.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE62-TUfHwbkvsDNW_YznUpG2Otr2gJslZltLEfh2i8gjKQfyn2MirGwisubiMSn_3vJUMOlyyKmWnk0-_XUOSxfA-DPY2siEPEXNCAs3gHg5gXzACdK3MjJq7w69wPgTZvLMX9d6A29ab/s200/img_0423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460002372239354642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/mojave2010/info02.html">NASA Spaceward Bound Trip Info</a>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351558200110419313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-60053433614724201302009-08-16T11:09:00.000-07:002009-10-18T13:12:22.185-07:00Rovers DeliveredThe Mars Society NorCal chapter held its regular monthly meeting on August 16th, it was a very special meeting, the group was joined by Andrew Klofas from Senseta who delivered the assembled project rovers! The delivery was preceded by a formal review and acceptance of the hardware by Dr. Chris McKay, planetary scientist at NASA Ames, and the NASA Ames procurement team at a demo held at the CMU/Senseta robotics lab staff on July 27th. The acceptance demo included software and hardware demonstrations and a discussion on applications of the rovers at the MDRS, for educational outreach, and astrobiology/geology field science. <br /><br />The NorCal team is now ramping up its activities around the rover project, members are engaged in setting up and helping develop the rover's kernel core and controle console software. This is now an open source project and a post on it will be published in the coming weeks. Delivery of the rovers will be followed by more testing both locally and again in the Mojave desert. Of primary importance is to gather more data on the performance of the wifi network components as remaining purchases of communications equipment rely on this data. Mechanical testing will give us the final data needed in order to complete the design of the facility (rover base) which will eventually house the rover while deployed at Mars Society's MDRS research station in Utah. Also the team is setting up the infrastructure for sharing future documents and information related to the rover project online with current and future collaborators and educators. As the rovers will also take part in a science and engineering outreach program in Bay Area schools we are ramping up activites related to documentation and presentation materials.<br /><br />Lastly, a word of caution to those of you embarking into projects, or their management, involving government organizations trying new modes of cooperation with industry and advocacy and non-governmental groups. Budget extra time for the project. We have seen a string of delays which were generally caused by organizations trying to accomplish or process things outside their usual operational comfort zone. While always having support of dedicated individuals, it was several time necessary to readjust the initial project plan and in order to stay inline with established procedures, even though often some of these seemed out of proportion relative to the modest project budget. On the other hand, the extra time it took to get to this point was not all lost. Some of it was recouped by newer and more affordable communications technology which we conciously decided to purchase only once the rovers are delivered. This is possible as we are a nimble group and can handle changes in the project, this ability of course decreases as groups involved grow in size. <br /><br />In any case, the equipment arrived and our group is excited to get rolling with all the ideas we discussed over the last several months. We are open to contributors and cooperation with other groups and individuals in science and education fields. For further information please contact the NorCal chapter of the Mars Society.<br />. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_8HQb4eZ3oSWMiQHvxkM4PsKVSpZfkJr7bA8KBi5VYsFuynnZBqEuy8EMTX-KMAUhu1G0fOHSoIwn9MxYA-o40CcU3O6lJ5zPcFEFe5GwgAr7uH-dVvy-zf6o5DiCVTlehjKQJnmBd0/s1600-h/rover_demo1_july_27_2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_8HQb4eZ3oSWMiQHvxkM4PsKVSpZfkJr7bA8KBi5VYsFuynnZBqEuy8EMTX-KMAUhu1G0fOHSoIwn9MxYA-o40CcU3O6lJ5zPcFEFe5GwgAr7uH-dVvy-zf6o5DiCVTlehjKQJnmBd0/s320/rover_demo1_july_27_2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373365263034422306" /></a><center>MS NorCal chapter members with the project rovers</center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-88952892598473478732009-08-07T20:25:00.000-07:002009-08-23T21:01:28.681-07:00AUVSI and ISU PresentationsPresentations were recently made to two local groups that featured the exploration rovers that were recently acquired by the Northern California chapter of the Mars Society.<br /><br />Dr. Chris McKay, Geoff Chu and Andrew Klofas discussed the rovers and their purpose with an enthusiastic crowd at the August 4th meeting of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Silicon Valley chapter (AUVSI-SV), held at the Flight Operations Center at Moffett Field. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to control one of the rovers on the lawn in front of the Flight Operations Building.<br /><br />One of the attendees of the meeting requested a rover demonstration for an educational outreach project he is affiliated with, and another expressed interest in helping prepare the rovers for their intended uses. One rover will be stationed at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), a Mars analog research facility in Utah sponsored by the Mars Society. The other rover is earmarked for the Mars Society's education outreach program in the Bay area.<br /><br />On August 7th, David Bushman, President of the AUVSI-SV, assisted by Geoff Chu and Andrew Klofas, spoke to a group of approximately 25 systems engineering students and staff at the International Space University (ISU) at the ISU campus near NASA Ames in Mountain View. Geoff and Andrew demonstrated the rovers' capabilities while David Bushman talked about the rovers' abilities and potential uses, including the ability to operate in fragile environments such as the cryptobiotic soil crusts in the Mojave Desert without damaging them, making them an important tool in investigating similar fragile life forms. He also discussed the Mars Society's rover programs for educational outreach intentions and for the Mars Desert Research Station. David, Geoff and Andrew answered many questions about the rovers and their use in research.<br /><br />Thanks to David Bushman and Shirley Brim for this report. Below, attendees of the ISU presentation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSbEso2yy0nH2RulGkXkh9kDMUkK0ryN2izKzFiKDf0DXWijAsGgTj83TSPgMT78BaXr4R0dkXYDxvuz8u5T8KsnXD96r-6um5FbLyyhruQFgCFWznBw5ygDpqoO2D-mHc0qo1le-QXc/s1600-h/ISU.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSbEso2yy0nH2RulGkXkh9kDMUkK0ryN2izKzFiKDf0DXWijAsGgTj83TSPgMT78BaXr4R0dkXYDxvuz8u5T8KsnXD96r-6um5FbLyyhruQFgCFWznBw5ygDpqoO2D-mHc0qo1le-QXc/s320/ISU.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373372994936015922" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-53986102634762644372008-09-29T22:39:00.001-07:002008-09-30T00:31:53.397-07:00September - Outreach MonthWe end September logging two rover related outreach events. Chris McKay (the Principal Investigator on the rover project) and Michael Sims, both researchers from NASA Ames, and Khalid Al-Ali from Carnegie Mellon University held a talk titled "Rovers in the exploration of extreme environments on Earth, the Moon, and Mars". The talk was held at the NASA Exploration Center and was specifically open to school children. The audience was taken through a range of topics. From motivation and reports on science done in the Antarctic and Mojave desert and the relation of those environments to the search for life in the Solar system. Through the motives at CMU to develop a rover which is accessible, flexible and easy to operate in science missions, without impact on fragile desert crusts on which we may look for the presence of self organizing patterns left by primitive life. Finally Dr. Sims concluded the talk with a retrospective of Lunar and Martian robotic exploration and the most significant results it yielded. The talk ended with the children taking center stage and blasting the lecturers with questions on all angles of space exploration.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMZPyr5aMM-Vr3gltDtMLFbmCT8yy0dElAdQg0M3tIUUdWjxud4lB8X7Fnruob7HpLYr0kGurf5k1X04-HZUz5fMzmsB6zt1lirC5Kkr11VNN_u0Euv-RcREyvKnstulsNQqQKo2gthY/s1600-h/NASA-Talk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 388px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMZPyr5aMM-Vr3gltDtMLFbmCT8yy0dElAdQg0M3tIUUdWjxud4lB8X7Fnruob7HpLYr0kGurf5k1X04-HZUz5fMzmsB6zt1lirC5Kkr11VNN_u0Euv-RcREyvKnstulsNQqQKo2gthY/s320/NASA-Talk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251685470848146914" border="0" /></a><br />The second event was the <a href="http://www.sallyridescience.com/">Sally Ride Science Festival</a> held at Moffett Field across NASA Ames. The Festival is geared towards girls and its aim is to let them engage in science related activities and workshop for a better part of the day. Discovery workshops and tables were set up by NASA Ames groups and local Bay Area groups. A talk was given by Astronaut Wendy B. Lawrence. The Mars Society Northern California chapter has traditionally been present at the Festival and it did so this year too, with an exhibit showcasing the exploration of Mars, its importance and major results results. Girls were invited to step into some of the problems of performing <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/boris.debic/SallyRideScienceFestival2008#5251677854308327026">work in space</a> with our simulation kit. Our presenters also displayed a simple <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/boris.debic/SallyRideScienceFestival2008#5251677923570865906">rover autonomy demo</a> with a look under the hood of the control software and a simple teleoperation demo with a laptop monitoring setup. We have also used the opportunity to present the NorCal Rover project and make contact with educators who are interested in future rover science classroom presentations. Here are <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/boris.debic/SallyRideScienceFestival2008?authkey=tElsPTpmG7I#">some pictures</a> from the event.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQpbVSP_SwRipIz8KWjtBLUvPb5AY38AaIFIN19LR3gW-F0Krt52EJaBfnUybXH04LdgqlXlF0U7CTmxSuy3ucYAHcU81kDjc3AVfcbf_I6gbGGUKI1A3L3f_wotXm9Merzhv5ZFT_hU/s1600-h/IMG_9497.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQpbVSP_SwRipIz8KWjtBLUvPb5AY38AaIFIN19LR3gW-F0Krt52EJaBfnUybXH04LdgqlXlF0U7CTmxSuy3ucYAHcU81kDjc3AVfcbf_I6gbGGUKI1A3L3f_wotXm9Merzhv5ZFT_hU/s320/IMG_9497.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251706189089429234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-31171275978526809962008-06-11T16:00:00.000-07:002008-12-09T01:37:42.944-08:00NorCal Rover Group Outreach Event at NASA AmesA unique two-week program, under way at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, is providing specialized training in mathematics and science for California State University, Fresno students eying careers in teaching at schools with a high percentage of minority students. <p>The Pre-Service Teacher Institute is funded by NASA Ames' Education Office at Moffett Field through a grant to the Teaching Fellows Program at Fresno State and Integrated Space Technologies (IST), Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama. The two-week workshop is designed to increase knowledge, skills and competence in teaching mathematics and science using technology. </p> The future teachers from Fresno State will be exposed to problem-based learning, mathematics and science enrichment activities at the workshop, which is one of eight such institutes funded by NASA at its centers across the nation and the first one at its California center.<br /><br />The NorCal Rover team took part in a two hour session with the teachers to present the rover project and it's science and engineering objectives at Mars analog environments on Earth. The latter part of the session was a hands on demonstration of the rover and it's features by Senseta and NorCal staff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlmF1ksHoRQZ03nmoaqqR1z9LgCUaIIbVKL5IRK8PmM_m1MKNCiWMCLhSE2m0oeYgupEeO32VKtvTtk4PJzm1o6qGu3WFLzG9gu5K6uvPHC0r5X2UzkfJg4Tn6NeNVMIgU79spiEXkGQ/s1600-h/SpacewardBound.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlmF1ksHoRQZ03nmoaqqR1z9LgCUaIIbVKL5IRK8PmM_m1MKNCiWMCLhSE2m0oeYgupEeO32VKtvTtk4PJzm1o6qGu3WFLzG9gu5K6uvPHC0r5X2UzkfJg4Tn6NeNVMIgU79spiEXkGQ/s320/SpacewardBound.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210786303945960354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-26551021737989774942008-05-20T22:48:00.000-07:002008-09-30T00:32:30.475-07:00Field Testing Report - Mojave Desert Studies Center<p id="mq-g">Dr. Christopher McKay, Planetary Scientist from NASA Ames Research Center. and the Northern California Chapter of the Mars Society (NorCal) Rover Team conducted a rover field testing trip to the Mojave desert from 21-23 March 2008. The purpose of the trip was to test the MAX 5 rover, a product of Senseta Incorporated, in field conditions planned for future Spaceward Bound activities and to introduce NorCal Rover team members to rover operations.<br /><br />The aim of the field testing trip was to perform rover operations and gain insight into further planning of future operation at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah and in outreach in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. It was also an opportunity for the NorCal Rover Team and Dr. McKay to evaluate the steps related to configuring and options for final purchase of the rovers as well as provide some time for NorCal Rover team members to gain insight into the obstacles which need to be resolved in order to meet the goals in the Spaceward Bound project proposal. Field testing was conducted at the Mojave <a id="us10" title="Desert Studies Center" href="http://biology.fullerton.edu/dsc/school/about.html" target="_blank">Desert Studies Center</a> (DSC) at <span id="h3v0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Zzyzx</span><span id="t5wb" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p id="pada">The assembly operations and first part of testing took place in the hall of the DSC. First on a plain course later changed into one with artificial obstacles. The outdoors testing took place on several locations close to the DSC. The outdoors testing provided good ground for evaluating rover performance and rover impact on its environment. While the Mojave provides similar ground surface features to the target environment in the Utah desert it must be noted that ground coverage with desert plants is different and more challenging then the one for which the science rover is targeted.<br /></p><p id="pada"><br />Testing was subdivided into several categories:<br /></p><p id="pada"><br /><span id="du9d"><b id="yb95">Evaluate rover assembly and maintenance procedures in field conditions.</b></span></p> <p id="fmqo">It takes some time to setup the rover and in a noisy wifi environment. Connections can drop between rover and laptop. This could use improvements in wifi robustness (software) and setup time (documentation). The communications issue could be a problem in a school but less so at MDRS. Once the rover is up and running it's fairly stable. Battery change has to be foolproof and simpler. We tested a rover with one camera, we need both of them operational as it will help in driving the rover. There's frame lag and this could use some research into compression and the practical limits of wifi. Battery lifetime could be improved by LiIon in future models. </p> <p id="pada"><span id="c7ha"><b id="k3m9">Test rover maneuverability; in a controlled environment; in the field and by team members with different skill levels.</b></span><br /></p> <p id="pada">Driving the rover in the room was not that easy. Using the joystick as a controller is not intuitive at first. When driving there is a number of parameters on the screen which need to be tracked for a successful drive. Moreover in the room watching the rover interfered with the actual testing, training should probably conducted in adjacent rooms or with the operator turned with his back towards the rover. Certain basic rover moves should be introduced right at the start of training. Some of them could also be part of a standard library of moves, i.e. various turns and patterns. This would greatly aid the operator. Also keyboard support should be a high priority. We should come up with a standard rover course beginners should try to navigate.<br /></p> <p id="pada"><span id="cinl"><b id="ed8t">Test rover capabilities in a desert environment resembling the MDRS Utah location.</b></span><br /></p> <p id="pada">During the afternoon we went to the desert and drove the rover in desert terrain. It was easier on that field than in the DSC room. Open ground is much easier for rover control. If both cameras where on it would help. A hammer was placed on the ground with the rover driving over it, not a problem for it at all. The impression is that stones half the size of the rover wheels or plants are not an obstacle. I would help to know the relative direction between the aim of the camera and the axial position of the rover, either by compass or an encoded mount which could be read by software.</p> <p id="pada"><span id="aq1n"><b id="dpsy">Test the control software, laptops and communications operations with the rover.</b></span><br /></p> <p id="pada">The software runs smoothly on the laptop no issues there. However at times, perhaps due to wifi latency, the software does not respond in real-time anymore. In the desert it was not observed as a problem, but in a school or a surrounding with a lot of wifi traffic this could be a problem. A wifi sniffer and possibility a change of communication channels may be a solution. Also a wider angle on the camera field of view would be easier for rover control. Screen layout is important too, controls critical for driving the rover should be close to the camera view. </p> <p id="pada"><span id="r1n9"><b id="dycs">Field test the rover with a simulated science instrument load and evaluate its environmental impact on the desert surface.</b></span><br /></p> <p id="fmqo">Physical impact of the rover on desert terrain was studied. The goal was to find out how much load the rover can carry before disturbance of the ground is registered. The rover, weighing about 5 kg, was loaded first with 3 kg of weight and later with 6 kg without leaving signs on the ground. The loaded rover did also not leave signs on the terrain when going over obstacles. There is ample latitude in loading the rover with instrumentation without causing damage to protected environments. It's impact is less than that of a person walking the same terrain.<br /></p> <p id="pada"> </p> <p id="pada"><span id="qfb:"><b id="k.70">Evaluate practical communication range and power autonomy.</b></span><br /><br />Through the tests it became obvious that communication latency could be an issue in controlling the rover, especially if it is compounded by interference from other wifi transmitters. There are some easy workarounds to mitigate this by switching channels or using higher gain antennas in a wifi crowded environment. Fortunately for science studies at desert location this may be less of an issue up to practical limits. The power autonomy is sufficient for meaningful rover sorties once the rover is in the hand of properly trained crews. At MDRS it would be advisable to prep one team member in rover operations ahead of time, this is something where good documentation, solid procedures and intuitive design come to bear. While LiIon may provide more power, it will not substantially change the autonomy of the rover as it stands today. Possible scenarios at MDRS may require the use of ATVs to bring the rover to more remote research locations. This rover evaluation was conducted in dry weather and terrain.</p> <p id="pada"><span id="c7ha"><b id="az-2">Test potential sciences packages</b></span></p>A Raman spectrometer and GigaPan camera assembly were tested in the field. The GigaPan processing is work intensive and although the results look promising more processing work needs to be done. It is not an instrument that will be easy to use by untrained people. The stitching software is far from perfect but is showing some promising results, processing times are long and it needs a lot of computing resources. Raman spectrometer testing was not conducted using the rover but using samples from the area. Results were satisfactory, issues regardin power and sample contact were discussed.<br /><br />NorCal Rover Team, April 2008.<br />Photography (c) by Cornelia Knoepfel.<br /><div id="wfk0" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img id="fu_d" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=d92sxmk_669rgt59cj_b" height="309" width="413" /><br /><br /><div id="kz1y" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: center;"><img id="gwo7" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=d92sxmk_682cvkm9hb_b" height="306" width="408" /></div><br /><img id="w-n5" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=d92sxmk_70j7662pht_b" height="305" width="407" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div id="ylaw" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: left;"><img id="ci0b" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=d92sxmk_67fmt4m2fh_b" height="153" width="803" /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-81762759476714864952007-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:002008-12-09T01:37:43.305-08:00Training the Next Generation of Space ExplorersAlthough continued space exploration certainly requires tax payers support - less than 1% of the federal budget is spent on space exploration, i.e. in 2007 this amounts to $1.09 per week per taxpayer - such a program would be impossible without the researchers and staff employed to run it. It takes dedication and consistency to recruit and train the people who make the space exploration program work. And it takes dedication to keep a steady interest among the students to forgo more lucrative technology opportunities and motivate them to take on challenges faced in a space program. While the NASA budget for such activities is often challenged and sometimes cut this rover project demonstrates a positive role businesses can play in keeping the expert pipeline flowing. Google is a company ran by visionaries who understand the importance of a space program. Not only by creating a space related <a href="http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">challenge</span></a> but also through supporting NASA's activities in encouraging students to take engineering and research careers and thus increasing their own opportunities for future hires from this group.<br /><br />The NorCal rover project was conceived as part of NASA's Spaceward Bound program. Spaceward Bound is an educational program organized at NASA Ames in partnership with The Mars Society, and funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) at NASA Headquarters. The focus of Spaceward Bound is to train the next generation of space explorers by having students and teachers participate in the exploration of scientifically interesting but remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. One program involves teachers in authentic fieldwork so that they can bring that experience back to their classrooms and assist in the development of curriculum related to human exploration of remote and extreme environments. The second program is to enable students at the upper undergraduate and graduate level (including teachers) to participate as crew members in two-week long immersive full-scale simulations of living and working on the Moon and Mars at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), established and operated by The Mars Society.<br />The software and rover experiments this group is working on is targeted at both of these activities, one of the rovers will be entirely dedicated to classroom use as a vehicle to explore different engineering and software engineering topics and as a platform for science experiments and simulations.<br /><br />Since I am writing about the people who care about the eduction of space explorers I should mention something I learned recently while visiting friends at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California about an hour and a half drive from Silicon Valley. A total of 33 graduates of the Naval Postgraduate School have become astronauts; more than any other graduate school in the country. So, if you are looking into an astronaut career, the NPS may not be a bad bet. I've been lead through their labs and facilities and the people there are doing serious space science and engineering. And they have among themselves two astronauts who work with them, both veterans of space flight, Daniel Bursch and Jim Newman. Sadly, two NPS graduates perished in the two Space Shuttle accidents; Michael J. Smith aboard the Challenger, STS-51L, on January 28, 1986 and William C. McCool on Columbia, STS-107, on February 1, 2003.<br /><br />The Space Systems Academic Group at the Naval Postgraduate School established an annual award to an outstanding graduate of the Space Systems curriculum in honor of the two astronauts. The group is looking to raise additional funds for a modest endowment to make the award permanent. If you have an interest in making a tax deductible donation please follow this <a href="http://www.npsfoundation.org/news.php?news_id=11"><span style="font-weight:bold;">link</span></a>.<br /><div style="text-align:center;"><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VCW7NZxSN9Utf43jJqQ-2Nf0dapHs4t2sh9lpy_Gja9Kg16SRCECnnCTC_T8Tc6g_jwhvwHu7HW8aypI6nzaZhc8Qe4RkBgpJd67Y6p6-xDnWxPaZmrbcexTm47d8hk4123GzXktNEQ/s1600-h/WilliamMcCool.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VCW7NZxSN9Utf43jJqQ-2Nf0dapHs4t2sh9lpy_Gja9Kg16SRCECnnCTC_T8Tc6g_jwhvwHu7HW8aypI6nzaZhc8Qe4RkBgpJd67Y6p6-xDnWxPaZmrbcexTm47d8hk4123GzXktNEQ/s200/WilliamMcCool.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144435735557811874" /></a><br /></td><td><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_11B2ZRr9E-X7fXAFSrXLymbk7vC3cLsWRm42mx66zDohJA7SzDgtpaDDrjtA0bvhyphenhyphenW-q9HTeCBorAhc1erlfUHW4kTTA35bcT6_SZOB1vT0fLou35gDsPuYMAW3wByUZp3PWnTEcK4A/s1600-h/MichaelSmith.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_11B2ZRr9E-X7fXAFSrXLymbk7vC3cLsWRm42mx66zDohJA7SzDgtpaDDrjtA0bvhyphenhyphenW-q9HTeCBorAhc1erlfUHW4kTTA35bcT6_SZOB1vT0fLou35gDsPuYMAW3wByUZp3PWnTEcK4A/s200/MichaelSmith.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144436126399835826" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-88160967324015921192007-11-18T17:25:00.001-08:002008-12-09T01:37:43.392-08:00Why a Rover? Aren't They Already on Mars?Indeed, NASA has so far successfully operated three rovers on the surface of Mars. The first one, Sojourner was part of the <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/index1.html">Pathfinder</a> mission. Sojourner, the rover, operated on the surface of Mars for 83 Sols (Martian days) and returned 2.6 billion bits of information, including more than 16,000 images from the lander and 550 images from the rover, as well as more than 15 chemical analysis of rocks and extensive data on winds and other weather factors. Even though <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/science/science-index.html">science data</a> ranged from geology and geomorphology through mineralogy, geochemistry, orbital dynamics, atmospheric science, astronomy and orbital dynamics - the mission was most importantly set to test novel approaches to the exploration of Mars. Most notably it used successfully a parachute and an array of airbags to accomplish a smooth landing. This approach coupled with a wealth of engineering data opened the path for the next rover mission to Mars.<br /><br />Scientific highlights of the Mars Pathfinder mission:<br /><br /> * Martian dust includes magnetic, composite particles, with a mean size of one micron.<br /> * Rock chemistry at the landing site may be different from Martian meteorites found on Earth, and could be of basaltic andesite composition.<br /> * The soil chemistry of Ares Vallis appears to be similar to that of the Viking 1 and 2 landing sites.<br /> * The observed atmospheric clarity is higher than was expected from Earth-based microwave measurements and Hubble Space Telescope observations.<br /> * Dust is confirmed as the dominant absorber of solar radiation in Mars' atmosphere, which has important consequences for the transport of energy in the atmosphere and its circulation.<br /> * Frequent "dust devils" were found with an unmistakable temperature, wind and pressure signature, and morning turbulence; at least one may have contained dust (on Sol 62), suggesting that these gusts are a mechanism for mixing dust into the atmosphere.<br /> * Evidence of wind abrasion of rocks and dune-shaped deposits was found, indicating the presence of sand.<br /> * Morning atmospheric obscurations are due to clouds, not ground fog; Viking could not distinguish between these two possibilities.<br /> * The weather was similar to the weather encountered by Viking 1; there were rapid pressure and temperature variations, downslope winds at night and light winds in general. Temperatures were about 10 degrees warmer than those measured by Viking 1.<br /> * Diversity of albedos, or variations in the brightness of the Martian surface, was similar to other observations, but there was no evidence for the types of crystalline hematite or pyroxene absorption features detected in other locations on Mars.<br /> * The atmospheric experiment package recorded a temperature profile different than expected from microwave measurements and Hubble observations.<br /> * Rock size distribution was consistent with a flood-related deposit.<br /> * The moment of inertia of Mars was refined to a corresponding core radius of between 1,300 kilometers and 2,000 kilometers (807 miles and 1,242 miles).<br /> * The possible identification of rounded pebbles and cobbles on the ground, and sockets and pebbles in some rocks, suggests conglomerates that formed in running water, during a warmer past in which liquid water was stable.<br /><br />Following the path of the Pathfinder mission was the Mars Exploration Rovers mission which landed two rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) in January 2004 on opposing sides of the planet. Although designed to operate for 90 Sols, both rovers continue to operate today almost 4 years into the mission. These rovers were designed as robotic geologists, with the primary mission being the search for water or signs of past water on the surface of Mars. The big science question for the Mars Exploration Rovers is how past water activity on Mars has influenced the red planet's environment over time. While there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars today, the record of past water activity on Mars can be found in the rocks, minerals, and geologic landforms, particularly in those that can only form in the presence of water. That's why the rovers are specially equipped with tools to study a diverse collection of rocks and soils that may hold clues to past water activity on Mars.<br /><br />A third roving mission to Mars, the <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/">Mars Science Laboratory</a>, is scheduled for launch in 2009 and arrive on Mars in 2010. This mission will conduct more complex science and it will have a range of operation of up to 20km from the landing site.<br /><br />So why more rover science? While we have learned from these missions their ultimate purpose is to open the possibility of a future human mission to Mars, and surely one day to the inevitable colonization of the planet and further exploration through the Solar system and beyond. A human mission to Mars will no doubt rely on robotic vehicles to accomplish science and mission goals, and will in this interaction minimize some of the risks associated with crew's extravehicular activities (EVAs). Having humans and robotic vehicles interact on the surface of Mars changes many of the aspects of rover operation. Normally in purely robotic missions the planners need to factor in the communication delay which can range from 6.5 to 44 minutes for a round trip of commands and responses from the rover. When the crew is on Mars they will have the advantage of being able to operate the vehicles autonomously or in real time and so new scenarios for their use become possible. Moreover these type of human rover interactions will likely take place on return missions to the Moon as well. Therefore one of the primary roles for the NorCal rover operating at the MDRS alongside mission teams will be to explore science and mission operation scenarios where both are involved. The rover has enough computational power, navigational and communications capability and science instrumentation to model a good number of situations. In addition it's twin will be used by mission support teams as a sandbox model available for testing in advance of procedures and program changes suggested or requested by the MDRS crew thereby adding to the realism of the analog environment. Also, while this rover in itself will not test the particular hardware which may one day end on such a voyage it will nonetheless be able to test a good number of design and software architecture concepts which may eventually get incorporated into the actual mission. <br /><br /><div style="text-align:center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKmA0p50j7skXZBaCoGw-tolBcv9rU7HzinmBg96Km3RDzBFSzk-raa9hsfYETxqpn_zH9gGoum6uQong-ylmB-G_FTx-wFp1wZoQJmhXeTsK69NfEKAo-YTKzGx1tmITujmv8UqJdjs/s1600-h/sojourner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKmA0p50j7skXZBaCoGw-tolBcv9rU7HzinmBg96Km3RDzBFSzk-raa9hsfYETxqpn_zH9gGoum6uQong-ylmB-G_FTx-wFp1wZoQJmhXeTsK69NfEKAo-YTKzGx1tmITujmv8UqJdjs/s320/sojourner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134379174179463954" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-86980696502634601252007-11-07T20:54:00.000-08:002007-11-18T19:35:21.002-08:00Rover Selection CriteriaIt took the group a while to turn the general plan of developing a tele-operated vehicle to support crews in a Mars analogue environment into a more detailed set of constraints. We agreed on a set of goals; augment the capabilities of the research crews, with a tool that is flexible and on which we can test different software architectures. The point being on providing standardized interfaces so teams with various backgrounds can develop various functional modules - i.e. a fancy word for adding different science capabilities to the same vehicle. The focus being on using the vehicle to train the future space explorers by having students and teachers devise and use the rover for scientific goals without worrying about the underpinning technical details. Not unlike a relation scientist have with supporting industries today. Rather then designing the rover from scratch we decided the interesting parts are on the interface between the the rover and the science - trading hardware development (which is interesting in itself but better done by people who already have experience in the field) for a platform rich enough to enable development of interesting software and algorithms. Nonetheless, selecting the right hardware in light of deployment in difficult terrain, but also keeping in mind that it needs tobe familiar to students and teachers we devised the following constraints to select the rover. <br /><br />Top five criteria:<br /><br /> 1. within budget<br /> 2. tele-operational, upgradeable to autonomous<br /> 3. reasonably all-terrain<br /> 4. video camera/wifi<br /> 5. flexible control unit<br /><br />Additional specifications:<br /><br /> All terrain should include protection from fine dust and sand and somewhat rain-proof with insulated wires, robust. With one of them we are going into a serious environment, the rover needs to cope with it. <br /><br /> GPS with easy upgradeability. While the first cut is tele-operation, science objectives and future autonomous mode will greatly benefit from a gps unit.<br /><br /> Wifi unless not available, then radio control.<br /><br /> Video camera on a mast, start with one, write software for two, capable of mono or stereo. <br /><br /> Flexible control unit so rover programming is accessible to students and teachers.<br /><br /> Manipulator capability, arm with one degree of rotation<br /><br /> Laser ranger or other ranging hardware in order to keep the rover safe so we are able to give wide access to it yet avoid hazards in the field.<br /><br /> Build or purchase a storage house for the vehicle that can be located away from the hab and has easy open doors that will not need human intervention. <br /><br /> Power management that will allow vehicle to be fully charged for 2-4 hours, go out, come back, and charge itself, possibly shut down while driving to the goal<br /><br />With this in the back of our minds we started the selection process. At the end, and after comparing side by side more than half a dozen manufacturers that were close to our budget we converged on Senseta's MAX series. The other two very close contenders were Pioneer P2AT and the Segway robotic platform. All of these were good contenders but after weighing primarily the cost and the other factors, we decided on Senseta. It is a good platform, and uses a regular small form factor PC capable of running widely available tools and hardware. If Apple ][ in its days was a great gift for schools, we think this rover could do the same for schools today, yet it is tested in the field and can perform a multitude of science goals at an attractive price. Being a standard PC it is easy to distribute development among teams not having direct access to it as it supports a decent simulation environment in software. Moreover, Senseta is closely affiliated with the robotics group at CMU which had some impressive record of innovation lately, and they were very enthusiastic to provide the initial support to get our group of the ground.<br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-1583558136474248492007-10-28T14:59:00.000-07:002007-11-18T19:36:02.908-08:00Mars Analog Environments<p>The <b>Mars Analogue Research Station</b> (MARS) Programme is an international effort spearheaded by The Mars Society to establish a network of prototype research centres where scientists and engineers can live and work as if they were on Mars, to develop the protocols and procedures that will be required for human operations on Mars, and to test equipment that may be carried and used by human mission to the Red Planet. Currently, two of these units have been constructed, one in the Canadian High Arctic (FMARS) and a second one in the high desert plateau of Utah (MDRS). Two more are planned, one in Europe (Iceland) and the other in Australia.<br /></p> <p>The primary goal of the MARS programme is to research the operational environment of a base on Mars. As such, the programme is specifically geared towards answering a wide range of key questions about living and working on Mars, including:</p> <ul><li>What is the ideal number of crew and their composition for an exploratory team on Mars - four people, six people, more?</li><li>How well do support systems and equipment function “in the field”?</li><li>What are the best designs for EVA suits?</li><li>How easy is it to maintain equipment in isolated conditions?</li><li>How are group dynamics going to operate in such a closed environment?</li></ul> <p>In order to achieve these goals, operations at the Habitat Units are performed under "Mars simulation" conditions. This means that once a crew is in a unit, barring a serious medical event or emergency, they live and work as astronauts would on Mars:</p> <ul><li>They cannot leave the unit without donning a simulated space suit</li><li>They cannot communicate directly with anyone outside of the unit without a built-in time delay in the communication - the distance between Earth and Mars makes direct conversation impossible</li><li>They can only use the equipment, tools and food available to them inside the habitat.</li></ul> In August of 2007 a four month mission was conducted at the Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island in the high Canadian Arctic. It was the first time that a simulated Mars mission has ever been conducted for such a long duration. This landmark expedition performed research for eventual human missions to the Red Planet by conducting scientific exploration under nearly all of the constraints that astronauts on an actual Mars mission will one day face. In preparation for their unprecedented four-month Mars mission simulation, Commander Melissa Battler led a seven-member crew through two weeks of intense training at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah. The crew learned to work as a team with each other and with supporting groups, while familiarizing themselves with the procedures necessary for their full-scale mission this summer in the high Canadian Arctic.<br /><br />Some of the science covered by the mission includes:<br /><ul><li> Temperature and flow relations in the active layer of the permafrost across -20 to 0 °C and applications to models of fluvial feature formation over permafrost on Earth and Mars.<br /></li><li> Experiments with manipulation of the snow cover thickness and monitoring of the effect on the thaw of the underlying ground.<br /></li><li> Measurement of melt generation in snowpacks and application to models for the melting of dusty snowpacks on Mars as the mechanism for creating gully features.<br /></li><li> Measurement of in situ biological activity and changes in biological diversity and abundance as temperatures increase from -20 to 0 °C.<br /></li><li> Measurement of the release of CH<sub>4</sub> - an important greenhouse gas - from permafrost and possible applications to the source of CH<sub>4</sub> on Mars.</li><li> Carbon release studies of permafrost as temperature changes, with applicability to global warming.<br /></li><li> Deployment of interactive sensor networks to achieve science goals and human factors studies of the human - sensor network interface.<br /></li><li> Isolation and confinement of this expedition enables research on human performance under extreme conditions analogous to space mission conditions.<br /></li><li> Water utilization study, as water is one of the largest consumable masses on a long duration mission.<br /></li></ul> <div class="post-body entry-content"><br />Our team is excited this project will provide additional simulation and science capability to the analog environments and also reach out to future explorers. Check the youtube link below for a slideshow from the 2007 FMARS expedition.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align:center;"><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ywDROkTvVw&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ywDROkTvVw&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /></div><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-10163873235102028132007-10-27T21:41:00.001-07:002008-09-30T00:33:06.540-07:00BackgroundSo what is this all about? Following is the press release our Mars Society chapter put out a few months ago. We are currently waiting for funds to clear NASA's administration, we expect this to be completed in the coming weeks and start assembling the hardware for this project. The engineering, education and MDRS logistics teams are in place, initially staffed and have started discussions on implementation details. If you want to join the chapter and/or contribute to this project please visit the chapter web site you'll find the link below.<br /><p><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:100%;" ><b>Northern California Mars Society/NASA Ames Robot Project Funded by Google</b></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" >MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- The Northern California Chapter of the Mars Society and NASA Ames Research Center have been awarded fifty-thousand dollars ($50K) by Google Incorporated for the "Spaceward Bound Robotic Vehicle Project for Research and Education". The project will purchase and configure two robotic rovers for use in telepresence testing as part of Spaceward Bound. Spaceward Bound is an educational program organized at NASA Ames Research Center in partnership with The Mars Society, and funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) at NASA Headquarters. The Mars Society is a non-profit international organization of volunteers who encourage, promote, and provide outreach and educational opportunities to inspire future explorers and further the goal of the exploration and settlement of Mars.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" >Graduate and undergraduate students are competitively selected to take part in two-week mission simulations at the Mars Desert Research Station site near Hanksville, Utah. The Mars Desert Research Station is a simulated Mars exploration base, which includes a habitat for human explorers, where research and training for future Mars exploration is conducted. The Mars Society established and operates the Mars Desert Research Station. The students learn a set of skills necessary to do field work in extreme environments on Earth and, by extension, on the Moon and Mars. Teleoperated robotic rovers will be an important part of any Moon or Mars research base. The project will train students to use this tool and have them develop this tool as part of a tool-kit used in field exploration. The rovers will be remotely operated from the habitat in teleoperation mode communicating through a wireless mesh network in the outside area.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" >In collaboration with the partners of the Spaceward Bound program, members of the Northern California Chapter of the Mars Society will provide the expertise to setup and maintain a robotics research capability located at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah for use by students, teachers, and scientists. In addition, the project will conduct outreach to students at schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, utilizing a robotic vehicle to promote science and engineering and inspire the next generation of explorers.</span></p><p><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;font-size:85%;" >Additional information is available at these websites:</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" ><b><u>Spaceward Bound</u></b></span></a><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" > <a href="http://www.quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/" target="_blank">http://www.quest.nasa.gov<wbr>/projects/spacewardbound/</a></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.marssociety.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" ><b><u>Mars Society</u></b></span></a><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" > <a href="http://www.marssociety.org/" target="_blank">http://www.marssociety.org</a></span></p> <p><a href="http://chapters.marssociety.org/usa/ca/northca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" ><b><u>Northern California Chapter of the Mars Society</u></b></span></a><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" > <a href="http://chapters.marssociety.org/usa/ca/northca/" target="_blank">http://chapters.marssociety<wbr>.org/usa/ca/northca/</a></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/fs06/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" ><b><u>Mars Desert Research Station Daily Logs</u></b></span></a><span style=";font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;font-size:85%;" > <a href="http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/fs06/" target="_blank">http://www.marssociety.org<wbr>/mdrs/fs06/</a></span></p><br /><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108876193329311578.post-81970910973450138412007-10-27T20:03:00.000-07:002008-09-30T00:32:52.417-07:00WelcomeThis is the official progress blog for the Mars Society Northern California chapter and NASA Ames Research Center Science Rover project. This project was initiated by NASA and the Mars Society and subsequently funded by Google Inc. The main goal of this project is to deliver two robotic vehicles, one for science research in Mars analog environments, namely the Mars Desert Research Station operated in the Utah desert by the Mars Society and another one for Bay Area outreach through NASA's Spaceward Bound program in an attempt to foster a new generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers.<br /><br /><br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-3043808-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0