1. First-Person-Perspective Rover Training:
a) Intermittent unreliable communication due to obstacles make autonomous rover exploration unfeasible(Source: NASA AI). Thus, our first task involves the astronaut operating the rover from outside the cave, wearing a headset that enables a first-person perspective. Such rovers(eg:NASA’s BRAILLE) are fitted with imaging & laser sensors to analyse the composition & radiation levels within caves.
b) The pre-existing Robot Operating System(ROS) can allow configuration of asset, environmental, and mission concept parameters(communication, navigation model, exploration strategy, and science instruments).
2. Cave Survey & Assessment: USGS Science Center has identified 1000+ candidate caves that cannot be studied with existing satellites/rovers. We train the astronaut on operating a LiDAR sensor to scan the cave system's shape & identify potential hazards, such as unstable rock formations or narrow passages. The astronaut then uses specialised software(ArcGIS Pro) to create a map.
3. Emergency Scenario: The cave model will include pre-designed weak points that can trigger a collapse with a specific probability distribution.
Metrics:
Time taken to clear the debris in case of collapse
Accuracy in Identifying weak points
Accuracy of point-cloud/map
Time taken to convert point-cloud data into a labelled map
Damage to rover during navigation
Vitals and stress levels
Ideal completion time: 5-6 hrs
No. of assets: 8
