Related papers: Hybrid Autonomy Framework for a Future Mars Scienc…
We present a modular robotic system for autonomous exploration and semantic updating of large-scale unknown environments. Our approach enables a mobile robot to build, revisit, and update a hybrid semantic map that integrates a 2D occupancy…
This paper develops a hierarchical reinforcement learning architecture for multimission spaceflight campaign design under uncertainty, including vehicle design, infrastructure deployment planning, and space transportation scheduling. This…
Achieving long term autonomy of robots operating in dynamic environments such as farms remains a significant challenge. Arguably, the most demanding factors to achieve this are the on-board resource constraints such as energy, planning in…
Current planetary rovers operate at traverse speeds of approximately 10 cm/s, fundamentally limiting exploration efficiency. This work presents integrated AI systems which significantly improve autonomy through three components: (i) the…
Heavy-duty mobile machines (HDMMs) are a wide range of machinery used in diverse and critical application areas which are currently facing several issues like skilled labor shortage, poor safety records, and harsh work environments.…
Ensuring safety for spacecraft operations has become a paramount concern due to the proliferation of space debris and the saturation of valuable orbital regimes. In this regard, the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) has emerged as a…
In this paper, we propose an integrated framework for the autonomous robotic exploration in indoor environments. Specially, we present a hybrid map, named Semantic Road Map (SRM), to represent the topological structure of the explored…
Autonomous aerial robots are increasingly being deployed in real-world scenarios, where transparent glass obstacles present significant challenges to reliable navigation. Researchers have investigated the use of non-contact sensors and…
Exploration of Mars has been made possible using a series of landers, rovers and orbiters. The HiRise camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has captured high-resolution images covering large tracts of the surface. However, orbital…
Rapid sampling from the environment to acquire available frontier points and timely incorporating them into subsequent planning to reduce fragmented regions are critical to improve the efficiency of autonomous exploration. We propose HPHS,…
The integration of foundation models (FMs) into robotics has enabled robots to understand natural language and reason about the semantics in their environments. However, existing FM-enabled robots primary operate in closed-world settings,…
The DARPA Subterranean Challenge is leading the development of robots capable of mapping underground mines and tunnels up to 8km in length and identify objects and people. Developing these autonomous abilities paves the way for future…
Aerial navigation on Mars requires vision-based pipelines that are robust to the diverse illumination conditions and terrain morphology of the Martian surface. A key bottleneck for training and evaluating such methods is the scarcity of…
In autonomous exploration tasks, robots are required to explore and map unknown environments while efficiently planning in dynamic and uncertain conditions. Given the significant variability of environments, human operators often have…
As multiple and heterogenous unmanned vehicle systems continue to play an increasingly important role in addressing complex missions in the real world, the need for effective cooperation among unmanned vehicles becomes paramount. The…
Modular Aerial Robot Systems (MARS) comprise multiple drone units with reconfigurable connected formations, providing high adaptability to diverse mission scenarios, fault conditions, and payload capacities. However, existing control…
Mid-Air Helicopter Delivery (MAHD) is a new Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) architecture to enable in situ mobility for Mars science at lower cost than previous missions. It uses a jetpack to slow down a Mars Science Helicopter (MSH) after…
This paper presents the development and evaluation of an optimization-based autonomous trajectory planning algorithm for the asteroid reconnaissance phase of a deep-space exploration mission. The reconnaissance phase is a low-altitude flyby…
This paper concentrates on the development of Chat-PM, a class of composite hybrid aerial/terrestrial manipulator, in concern with composite configuration design, dynamics modeling, motion control and force estimation. Compared with…
Exploration and collision-free navigation through an unknown environment is a fundamental task for autonomous robots. In this paper, a novel exploration strategy for Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) is presented. The goal of the exploration…