Related papers: Navigating with the Kamal
We demonstrate real-time high-altitude aerial metric-semantic mapping and exploration using a monocular camera paired with a global positioning system (GPS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Our system, named HALO, addresses two key…
High-level Chinese cartographic developments predate European innovations by several centuries. Whereas European cartographic progress -- and in particular the search for a practical solution to the perennial "longitude problem" at sea --…
I describe a simple method to calculate Earth dimensions using only local measurements and observations. I used modern technology (a digital photo camera and Google Earth) but the exact same method can be used without any aid, with naked…
Understanding terrain topology at long-range is crucial for the success of off-road robotic missions, especially when navigating at high-speeds. LiDAR sensors, which are currently heavily relied upon for geometric mapping, provide sparse…
Astronomers measure cosmic distances to objects beyond our own galaxy using standard candles: objects of known intrinsic brightness, whose apparent brightnesses in the sky are then taken as an indication of their distances from the…
Observing artificial satellites is a relatively new and unique branch of astronomy that is very interesting and dynamic. One specific aspect of observing these objects is that although they appear amongst the celestial background, as…
Images of both rotating celestial bodies (e.g., asteroids) and spheroidal planets with banded atmospheres (e.g., Jupiter) can contain features that are well-modeled as a circle of latitude (CoL). The projections of these CoLs appear as…
The PULSE@Parkes project has been designed to monitor the rotation of radio pulsars over time spans of days to years. The observations are obtained using the Parkes 64-m and 12-m radio telescopes by Australian and international high school…
From al-Sufi's tenth-century observation of the Andromeda Galaxy as a "little cloud" to contemporary space missions, Islamic astronomy represents a millennium-spanning tradition of innovation and knowledge. This study traces its trajectory…
It is customary to employ a semi-spherical scale model to describe the apparent path of the Sun across the sky, whether it be its diurnal motion or its variation throughout the year. A flat surface and three bent semi-rigid wires…
Mars shares many similarities and characteristics to Earth including various geological features and planetary structure. The remarkable bimodal distribution of elevations in both planets is one of the most striking global features…
Most of the advanced control systems use sensor-based feedback for robust control. Tilt angle estimation is key feedback for many robotics and mechatronics applications in order to stabilize a system. Tilt angle cannot be directly measured…
This article is devoted to research the application of the spacecraft with a solar sail to support the certain climatic conditions in an area of the Mars surface. Authors propose principles of functioning of the spacecraft, intended to…
The Calar Alto Observatory, located at 2168m height above the sea level in continental Europe, holds a significant number of astronomical telescopes and experiments, covering a large range of the electromagnetic domain, from gamma-ray to…
Astronomical observations were used as a marker for time and the Calendar from ancient times. A more subtle calibration of epochs is thrown up by an observation of the position of the solstices and equinoxes, because these points shift in…
This book outlines the basic physical principles and practical methods of polarimetric remote sensing of Solar System objects and summarizes numerous advanced applications of polarimetry in geophysics and planetary astrophysics. In the…
Exploration of terrestrial planets such as Mars are conducted using orbiters, landers and rovers. Cameras and instruments onboard orbiters have enabled global mapping of Mars at low spatial resolution. Landers and rovers such as the Mars…
Looming, traditionally defined as the relative expansion of objects in the observer's retina, is a fundamental visual cue for perception of threat and can be used to accomplish collision free navigation. The measurement of the looming cue…
COMPASS is an on-axis 2.6 meter telescope coupled to a correlation polarimeter operating at a wavelength of 1 cm. The entire instrument was built specifically for CMB polarization studies. We report here on observations of February 2001 -…
The CMB polarization is the Everest in the quest to characterize the earliest photons from the Universe. After a long list of ever-decreasing upper limits, a detection of polarization was made in 2002 by the DASI team at ell =~ 500. The…