MINIATURE ROBOTS FOR SPACE AND MILITARY MISSIONS c. R. Weisbin (JPL), J. Blitch (DARPA), D. Lavery (NASA), E. Krotkov (Cytometrics, Inc.), C. Shoemaker (USARL), L. Matthies (JPL), G. Rodriguez (JPL) ABSTUCT zyxwvutsr Miniature robots enable low-cost planetary surface exploration missions, and new military missions in urban terrain where small robots provide critical assistance to human operations. These space and military missions have many similar technological challenges. Robots can be deployed in environments where it may not be safe or affordable to send humans, or where robots can reduce the risk to humans. Small size is needed in urban terrain to make the robot easy to carry and deploy by military personnel. Technology to sense and perceive the environment, and to autonomously plan and execute navigation maneuvers and other remote tasks, is an important requirement for both planetary and surface robots and for urban terrain robotic assistants. Motivated by common technological needs and by a shared vision about the great technological potential, a strong, collaborative relationship exists between the NASNJPL and DARPA technology development in miniaturized robotics. This paper describes the technologies under development, the applications where these technologies are relevant to both space and military missions, and the status of the most recent technology demonstrations in terrestrial scenarios. INTRODUCTION In recognition of the value of miniature robotics in enabling new and bold missions for surface exploration, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), under support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has for many years built and deployed a technology base in miniature robotics''2 . The Sojourner rover, deployed at Mars in the summer of 1997, emerged from this technology base. Beyond this, miniaturized robots currently under development will enable new capabilities in autonomous roving over long distances, deployment and operation of multiple science instruments, remote drilling and coring operations, and robotic selection and acquisition of samples for sample return missions. Similarly, DARPA has recognized the potential of miniature robotics technology, and has instituted major technology development programs to achieve technological breakthroughs in robot size, maneuverability, and real-time perception for navigation and reconnaissance. These activities are aggressively developing and demonstrating, in realistic urban terrain scenarios, such capabilities as carrying and deployment of a miniature robot by a single soldier, survival of impact due to being tossed over fences or other barriers, climbing stairs and other obstacles quickly, detailed survey and mapping of indoor and outdoor environments, and detection and localization of hostile forces. A strong, collaborative relationship exists between the NASNJPL and DARPA technology development in miniaturized robotics. This collaboration on miniature robotics began at a workshop on Military Robotics held at the Institute for Defense Analyses in May 1996. The authors of this paper were among the organizers of this workshop, and co-chaired a special session to identify critical needs and technologies in miniature robotics. This workshop was very successful in drawing wide participation from both the robotics research communities at academia and industry, as well as from the prospective user communities in the military. It also succeeded in providing an initial thrust toward establishing a new DARPA focus on miniature robot technologies for urban terrain, and to the initiation of the Tactical Mobile Robotics program3within the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) at DARPA. Since then, a large number of joint activities have taken place including workshops, coordination meetings, and even joint demonstrations where JPL and other robots have been tested in simulated military scenarios. As part of these efforts, JPL is currently leading a team of investigators from industry, universities, and government research laboratories, with the objective of enabling and demonstrating new capabilities in urban terrain operations. This paper will describe the miniaturized robotics technologies under development, the applications where these technologies are relevant to both space and military missions, and the status of the most recent technology demonstrations in terrestrial scenarios. PLANETARY ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS Technological Requirements An examination of the requirements for planetary robotics technology serves as a good starting point to discuss the role of this technology in a wide range of exciting planetary missions. For several key technologies, the desired capabilities, the state-of-the-art, and the technology requirements for emerging planetary missions is summarized below: 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics