{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":93885,"title":"Real-Time Measurement of Wheel Performance on a Rover","startTrl":2,"currentTrl":3,"endTrl":3,"benefits":"The proposed work will provide a very capable traction testing vehicle with the capacity to understand and test local real-time wheel performance measurements. The capabilities of the SLOPE Lab to support current and future missions will be improved by providing previously unattainable measurements of wheel performance, which can be used to generate algorithms to reduce the risk of entrapment of current and future rovers. Windblown sand on Mars has proven to be very difficult to traverse. It is predicted that the Mars 2020 rover will be required to avoid these areas of high entrapment risk. The ability to measure wheel slip and sinkage would allow the rover to attempt high risk areas without risking entrapment by measuring real-\\xad-time wheel performance. If the wheel performance approaches a limit the rover can take action to prevent entrapment. Currently the only way to assess wheel performance is after the rover is nearly entrapped. ","description":"Wind-blown sand on Mars produces a high risk of entrapment for Mars rovers. This was evident when the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit was immobilized in a wind blown sand dune, effectively causing the eventual end of its mission. Because there is currently no practical method of quantifying the slip and sinkage of wheels in real-time, remote rover drivers are forced to avoid areas deemed risky, resulting in either missed science or added time and energy driving to avoid hazards. Investment in this proposal will develop techniques for measuring wheel performance in real-time. On-board wheel performance measurements with hazard detection and avoidance software would allow rover drivers to operate in more hazardous driving areas by minimizing the risk of entrapment. The techniques developed could be used to enhance current rover missions and enable future rovers to explore previously unattainable areas. The goal is to investigate at least three real time techniques for measuring wheel sinkage and slip that can be implemented on the Mars 2020 rover with minimal or no impact of additional hardware. ","destinations":[{"lkuCodeId":1544,"code":"MOON_AND_CISLUNAR","description":"Moon and Cislunar","lkuCodeTypeId":526,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"DESTINATION_TYPE","description":"Destination Type"}},{"lkuCodeId":1518,"code":"MARS","description":"Mars","lkuCodeTypeId":526,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"DESTINATION_TYPE","description":"Destination Type"}}],"startYear":2016,"startMonth":10,"endYear":2017,"endMonth":7,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":281316,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Kyle","lastName":"Johnson","fullName":"Kyle A Johnson","fullNameInverted":"Johnson, Kyle A","middleInitial":"A","primaryEmail":"kyle.a.johnson@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":335305,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Lapointe","fullName":"Michael R Lapointe","fullNameInverted":"Lapointe, Michael R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"michael.r.lapointe@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":392233,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Richard","lastName":"Howard","fullName":"Richard W Howard","fullNameInverted":"Howard, Richard W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"richard.w.howard@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":280583,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Kurt","lastName":"Sacksteder","fullName":"Kurt R Sacksteder","fullNameInverted":"Sacksteder, Kurt R","middleInitial":"R","primaryEmail":"partialg@gmail.cpm","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":159449,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Gary","lastName":"Horsham","fullName":"Gary A Horsham","fullNameInverted":"Horsham, Gary A","middleInitial":"A","primaryEmail":"gary.a.horsham@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[{"transitionId":53661,"projectId":93885,"transitionDate":"2017-07-01","path":"Closed Out","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"July 2017"}],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"GRC CIF","active":true,"description":"
Tthe goal of the Center Innovation Fund is to stimulate and encourage creativity and innovation in addressing the technology needs of NASA and the Nation. The GRC Center Innovation Fund is intended to provide GRC Civil Servants, potentially partnering with external organizations and other NASA Centers, with the opportunity to develop new ideas toward this goal, and to pursue their intellectual growth in areas that are deemed to be of strategic importance to the Center. The projects are high payback, highly innovative research proposals that could significantly impact future GRC programs.
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Through the Center Innovation Fund, the Space Technology Mission Directorate allocates a small portion of the NASA workforce and procurement budget to internal research and development to feed early stage innovation in technology and exploration. Activities with in the Center Innovation Fund are proposed and led by NASA scientists and engineers. These activities and creative initiatives pursue emerging technologies that leverage talent and capabilities at the NASA Centers.
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