October 06, 2005

Investigating the High Desert
Shortly before dawn wind that the rover was sustained above 45 KPH (30 MPH) and gusting to 55 KPH(40 MPH). Several hours later winds were 70 KPH (45 MPH) with gusts to 90KPH (55 MPH)...

September 30, 2005

Moving to the Final Field Site
After concluding the remote science investigation Zoë drove across the mud flat and up into the hills. This was the longest autonomous drive to date, nearly 6km of continuous motion.

September 26, 2005

Investigating the Mud Flats
Unknown to the science investigation team in Pittsburgh, we have learned that the area of Site E experienced rain this year for the first time in more than a decade. Many of the drainages are freshly cut with water flow.

September 16, 2005

Repair and Recovery
...we were online, literally minutes before the upload of the landing site panorama. It was a tough week for everyone but we are back on track

September 15, 2005

Rover Damaged in Transport
Upon arrival at the cargo drop location for our Site E investigation at Salar de Navidad it was immediately clear that Zoë had been damaged by the ride in the cargo transport from Salar Grande.

September 14, 2005

Exploring the Coastal Range
All in all, the science investigation near Salar Grande,kept the field team on its toes. Thanks to hard work and good ideas, we overcame a few interesting problems. In return Zoë collected quality data throughout the valley dubbed “Puerta de Agua”

September 06, 2005

Beginning Science Ops
Eventually, not the speed but the endurance of our trucks caused the dogs to give up...The robot was unloaded a few kilometers from the official landing site, and driven there autonomously. Science ops began smoothly.

September 02, 2005

Tweaking and Debugging
These tests were instructional in several ways. Most importantly, they were our first attempts at running EventScope commands from Chile. It resulted in a few more bug fixes

August 30, 2005

Long Traverses and Transects
Zoë was commanded to pass through a “gate” consisting of two cairns nearly 1300m away and end up at the center of camp. The robot performed very well...

August 25, 2005

Never Get Lost Again
After driving all around the region south of Salar Grande trying to decide which valley we were in and whether it was possible to get out of the current drainage...

August 24, 2005

Finishing the Small Details
Zoë has 9 camera onboard, if you count the Fluorescence Imager and the Sun Tracker. Today we worked on image quality and calibration

August 23, 2005

Build a Robot in a Day
The pictures show it all, you can watch the shadow clock around as we went from crates to rover charging batteries and driving around.

August 22, 2005

Setting Camp and Getting Crates
This year we will investigate south of Salar Grande with Zoë, about a 50 minute drive beyond the paved road. The road was graded long ago but now the straight sections are washboarded and the rest serpentines through dry washes...

August 21, 2005

Exploring Salar Grande
We encountered some evidence of seismic activity in several areas and rejected one camp due to an open fissure that was deep (several seconds of rock drop), sulfurous smelling, and 8-10C warmer than the ambient air temperature.

August 19, 2005

Arriving Antofagasta
We drove in from the north and made our way through the Cerros de Cuevitas to reach Salar de Navidad. This area lacks any apparent signs of life. We were very interested to find that this salar is a vast dry mud flat, unlike the blocky halite of Salar Gra

October 17, 2004

Navigation Experiments
Continue Autonomous Navigation Experiments. Today Zoë passed the 50 kilometer mark navigating autonomous.

October 16, 2004

Visitors
Hosted visitors in the field. We had an event for the invited guests of our Chilean co-investigators and were surprised and impressed that almost 100 people made the 200km trip from Antofagasta to see Zoe.

October 15, 2004

More Autonomy Testing
Today we conducted as series of autonomous traverses across a plano cut through by arroyo(dry streambeds).

October 14, 2004

Autonomy Tests
Conducted autonomous navigation experiments. This field season we have conducted over 200 autonomous traverse experiments.

October 02, 2004

Pre-Ops Testing
Executed combined navigation and science. Today we ran tests of Zoe’s autonomy software to confirm its performance planning and executing both navigation and science tasks.

October 01, 2004

Setting up for 2nd Ops
Assembled environmental monitoring station. New components have been installed and configured. The sun tracking spectrometer was tested and calibrated. Everything is ready of installation tomorrow.

September 30, 2004

Preparing for 2nd Round of Ops
Repaired environmental station. Replacement processor board and hard disk for our environmental monitoring station have been installed and rebuilt.

September 28, 2004

Arrival at 2nd Site
Arrived at field site. Our second field site this season is in the region southeast of Antofagasta, in the interior of the Atacama desert.

September 26, 2004

Transport
Prepared to relocate. Work is now complete at our first investigation site near Salar Grande in the north coastal range of the Atacama.

September 10, 2004

Final Days of Preparation
We continue to have excellent results from Zoë’s onboard fluorescence imager (FI). After initial confirmation that the instrument is able to excite and detect fluorescence in daylight (under the shade of the rover), we have further refined the specifi

September 08, 2004

Refining & Testing
Continuing position estimator development. Rover motion controller verified. Environmental station logging. Testing panoramic imaging.

September 06, 2004

Instrument Testing
The onboard Fluorescence Imager (FI), which passed its initial mechanical and electronic checkout a few days ago, imaged samples placed in its field of view.

September 05, 2004

Power & Navigation Testing
Zoë’s power monitoring computer is online and sensors throughout the rover are connected. We continue to work on sun-based orientation determination and are tracking down issues in the input parameters to the ephemeris calculation.

September 04, 2004

More Testing
Imaged sun. Zoë carries a sun tracking camera, a 180° field of view camera that looks up through a very dark filter, that sees only the white spot of the sun in the sky.

September 03, 2004

Preliminary Rover Testing
We made a preliminary visit to the area in which we plan to conduct the remote science investigation. The area, bordered by mountains, is approximately 7 kilometers by 3 kilometers in extent. Zoë will be able to traverse much of it, but there are small

August 31, 2004

Rover Assembly
Today we began assembling Zoë and completed the chassis and electronics. Tomorrow the instruments and solar array.

August 30, 2004

First Field Report
Explored southern Salar Grande. This field season, with a more capable rover, we are planning to investigate regions to the south of Salar Grande higher up into the coastal range.

April 27, 2003

Hyperion Field Experiments Concluded
Terrain model high-resolution data collection and soil mobility and locomotion power experiments.Return Hyperion from the field, tear down, and pack.

April 26, 2003

Hyperion Showcased to Public
Public visits to Hyperion, endurance test of mission planning/executive and navigator, communications system tests ( VHF long range transmission).

April 25, 2003

Remote Science Investigation Concluded
Remote science investigations on west side of salar and endurance test of mission planning/executive and navigator.

April 24, 2003

More Science Experiments & Data collection
Science operations along west side of salar, collect localization data from Sun sensor and omniview camera, test mission planning of science instrument (SPI) data collection.

April 23, 2003

More Remote Science Investigations
Remote science investigation approaching alluvial fan, collect localization data from Sun sensor and side-view camera, and test mission planning of science instrument (SPI) data collection

April 22, 2003

More Science Operations
Science operations during traverse from Pampa Nevada site to next site and deployment of spectrometer and fluorescence microscope

April 21, 2003

Rover Science Experiments Begin
Rover science operations at Pampa Nevada

April 20, 2003

Testing and Analysis
Autonomous navigation and power measurements, operations with mission planner/health monitor, panoramic visual odometry data collection and setting up for tomorrow's science operations.

April 19, 2003

Rough Terrain Encountered
More autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, operations with mission planner/health monitor, and panoramic visual odometry data collection.

April 18, 2003

Hyperion Traverses 1213 Meters
More autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, operations with mission planner/health monitor and visual odometry data collection. Collecting SPI data collection as well as fluorescence imaging instrument data.

April 17, 2003

Early Experiments and Operations
Autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, operations with mission planner/health monitor, and visual odometry data collection.

April 16, 2003

Hyperion Afield for the Night
Autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, operations with mission planner/health monitor, visual odometry data collection

April 15, 2003

More Testing
Autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, operations with mission planner/health monitor, and visual odometry data collection.

April 14, 2003

More Experiments & Data Collection
Autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments, terrain data collection (delayed), visual odometry data collection, and SPI calibration - Collect sun sensor test image

April 13, 2003

More Autonomous/Solar Experiments
Continued basic navigation experiments with Hyperion, ranging farther afield. Panoramic camera installed, researchers arrive, and solar experiments continually improving.

April 12, 2003

Testing
Full-day solar experiment and more autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments.

April 11, 2003

Experiments Begun
Initial checkout and calibration, set up operations tent and communication, and begin autonomous navigation and power measurement experiments.

April 10, 2003

Hyperion Ready
Log weather data, prepare solar experiment, assemble Hyperion electronics/sensors, checkout and calibration (delayed), and select site for first navigation.

April 09, 2003

Hyperion Assembled
Get solar/weather station operational, assemble Hyperion

April 08, 2003

Chariot del Fuego Completed
Set up solar/weather station, complete Chariot del Fuego, begin Hyperion assembly (delayed), resupply in Iquique

April 07, 2003

Experiment and Base Camp Sites Located
Located area west of salar suitable to long distance navigation and communication experiments.Located site for base camp with reasonable proximity to science sites and rover experiment sites.

April 06, 2003

Locating Experiment Sites
Explored eastern salar in an extensive traverse to locate area for long-distance rover navigation experiments and to find a diverse selection of terrains.

April 05, 2003

Unloading Hyperion
Obtain supplies and equipment in Iquique, receive Hyperion and Cargo, and scout sites for solar and rover experiments

April 04, 2003

Arriving in Chile
Arrive Iquique, arrange access and support, locate sites for science investigation, and obtain supplies and equipment.

None

Beginning Investigation in the High Desert
Shortly before dawn wind that the rover was sustained above 45 KPH (30 MPH) and gusting to 55 KPH (40 MPH) and several hours later winds were 70 KPH (45 MPH) with gusts to 90KPH (55 MPH).