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Updated: Jul 21, 2025
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Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot
Published on: June 10, 2020
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Autonomous robotics is driving Perseverance rover's progress on Mars.
Vandi Verma1, Mark W Maimone1, Daniel M Gaines1
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
Science Robotics
|July 26, 2023
Summary
NASA
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Robotics
- Space Exploration
Background:
- NASA's Perseverance rover utilizes advanced robotic autonomy for Martian exploration.
- Previous Mars rovers had limited autonomous navigation capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the autonomous capabilities of NASA's Perseverance rover.
- To highlight the advancements in robotic autonomy for Mars missions.
Main Methods:
- Overview of the self-driving autonomous navigation system (AutoNav).
- Description of the Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science (AEGIS) system.
- Introduction to the OnBoard Planner (OBP) scheduling capability.
Main Results:
- Perseverance's AutoNav covered 88% of its first Martian year's travel distance autonomously.
- AutoNav set records for longest autonomous drive and longest single-day drive.
- AEGIS enables autonomous target selection for SuperCam instrument observations.
- OBP is projected to reduce energy usage and mission duration.
Conclusions:
- Perseverance's autonomous systems significantly enhance Mars exploration efficiency.
- These technologies represent a major leap in planetary rover capabilities.
- Future missions can benefit from these advanced autonomous operations.
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