Autonomous Planetary Rover at Carnegie Mellon

Abstract

This report describes progress in research on a six-legged autonomous robot, called the Ambler, designed for planetary exploration. Much of the research focused on understanding the capabilities of the robot itself and developing a software system capable of autonomously walking the Ambler through natural terrain. We also investigated algorithms for perceiving and acquiring rock samples, which were demonstrated on a separate testbed. Papers include: Walking robot with a circulating gait; Single leg walking with integrated perception, planning, and control; Planning strategies for the ambler walking robot; and a perception and manipulation system for collecting rock samples.