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Non-terrestrial Robotic Systems

Before humans set foot on another world, it’s often robots who reach the planet first. At Statler College, we are pushing the field of space exploration forward by developing robots that can perform highly advanced and technical tasks. Our researchers are improving autonomous robot functions of the Mars rover to support future Mars Sample Return Missions, creating robotic capabilities for in-space assembly of satellite servicing, and building swarms of ballooning spider-inspired probes that can perform in-situ measurements of planetary atmospheres. 

Affiliated Faculty

Recent Publications

  1. Hedrick, G., Ohi, N., Gu, Y., “Terrain-Aware Path Planning and Map Update for Mars Sample Return Mission,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Jun 2020.
  2. Gu, Y., Strader, J., Ohi, N., Harper, S., Lassak, K., Yang, C., Kogan, L., Hu, B., Gramlich, M., Kavi, R., Gross, J., “Robot Foraging: Autonomous Sample Return in a Large Outdoor Environment,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, Vol.: 25, Issue: 3, Sep 2018.
  3. Gu, Y., Ohi, N., Lassak, K., Strader, J., Kogan, L., Hypes, A., Harper, S., Hu, B., Gramlich, M., Kavi, R., Watson, R., Cheng, M., Gross, J., “Cataglyphis: An Autonomous Sample Return Rover,” Journal of Field Robotics, 35(2), 248-274, Mar 2018.
  4. Kilic, C., Gross, J. N., Ohi, N., Watson, R., Strader, J., Swiger, T., ... & Gu, Y.. “Improved Planetary Rover Inertial Navigation and Wheel Odometry Performance through Periodic Use of Zero-Type Constraints”. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Macau, China, Nov. 2019.