Reliable Autonomous Surface Mobility (RASM) in Support of Human Exploration, Phase II

The technical innovations advanced by this project will have immediate application on the KREX vehicle used by NASA Ames' Intelligent Robotics Group, enabling it to achieve its full capability as a research appliance for NASA. We also see direct applicability of this work to other planetary rovers developed by NASA as part of the research and development program in surface systems. ProtoInnovations will seek to sustain this work by developing portable software for rover navigational autonomy that can be adapted and applied to a wide range of planetary vehicles. The Canadian Space Agency has announced that it will perform intensive research in lunar rovers with plans to produce multiple concept vehicles in the next one to two years. ProtoInnovations will aggressively pursue this market and apply its expertise in autonomy and navigation to CSA rovers. We are currently negotiating with Canadian aerospace corporations regarding licensing of navigation and mobility technology. We also believe that our effort can be sustained by our unique capability and experience which we believe is valuable to emerging lunar rover activities in China, Japan, and India/Russia. The market for lunar rover autonomy is not large but it is highly technical and critical to success in lunar missions. ProtoInnovations intends to continue research and development and position itself as a leader in rover navigation software and experience. ProtoInnovations is prepared to approach large manufacturers who represent potential consumers of RASM: from automotive companies More »