Robotic Telepresence for the Terraformation of Mars

Matthew C. Doyle

Envisioning Robotic Telepresence for the Terraformation of Mars

The current frequency and strength of natural disasters, coupled with increasing temperature and global scarcity has startled humanity with the implications of overpopulation.

It is time to make humanity a multi-planetary species!

Rotation Period (Day)∫ 23.0 Hours 24.6 Hours

Revolution Period (Year) 365.2 Days 686.2 Days

Average Temperature 59 F -91 F

Atmospheric Pressure 1013 millibars 6 millibars

Average Distance From Sun 93 Million Miles 132 Million Miles

Tilt Of Axis 23.5 Degrees 25 Degrees

Gravity 1 G 0.4 G

HOW ABOUT MARS?

BUT...

The atmospheric conditions and temperature on Mars currently do not facilitate human survival

● Thin atmosphere ● Too Cold ● No Magnetosphere ● No Gravity.

WHEN?

● Predictions:○ 2025-2030 (SpaceX)○ 2027 (Mars One)○ Late 2030s (NASA: Mars Outpost)

TERRAFORMATION

Introduction of photosynthetic organisms, the melting of polar ice caps, and the introduction of greenhouse gases could all be used to create an ozone-rich atmosphere.

● Runaway Greenhouse Effect (Carl Sagan) ○ Chloroluorocarbons (CFCs) ○ Orbiting Mirrors

● Ecopiosies○ Inflatable Biodomes/Greenhouses ○ Drill Microbes

ROBOTIC TELEPRESENCERemote operation of a humanoid robot by a human operator to manipulate objects and carry out tasks in a remote environment by interacting with a virtual environment.

● Gestures can be recorded from Earth to carry out tasks on the Martian terrain to begin the terraforming process before humans arrive.

● Facilitated through immersive technology supported by multi-modal feedback.

IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGYUsers feel more “present” in virtual environments that effectively leverage these technologies to provide the user with multi-modal feedback through multiple sources of sensory input.

● VR Head Mounted Device (Oculus, Hololens, HTC Vive, Sony Morpheus)● Motion Detection (Microsoft Kinect 2) ● Motion Interaction (Leap Motion)

HUMANOID ROBOTICSHumanoid Robots are frequently used in space to complete tasks in environments that are dangerous to humans.

NAO

ROBONAUT

ASIMO VALKYRIE

FUTURE TASKS

● Infrastructure - constructing orbiting mirrors and biodomes.● Agriculture - planting microbes into Martian surface. ● Maintenance & Repair - ensuring that all the equipment on the base is

running efficiently.● Regulation of Sensory Data - acting upon a variable that is not behaving

as intended.● MIning - robots will be able to identify and mine for resources to be used

both on Mars and possibly Earth as well.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS● Calibration - users must appear in front of the Kinect motion sensor to

calibrate the cartesian coordinates to degrees of freedom and robot dexterity.

● Natural Walking - visualize and facilitate walking with humanoid robot with Leap Motion or 3D mouse

● Object Recognition - humanoid robot can be trained to recognize objects in its environment.

● Obstacle Avoidance - allowing the robot to navigate around potentially dangerous objects it has identified.

● Force Controlled Manipulation - users can pick up, move, turn, push, and pull objects by utilizing force controlled manipulation.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS● Represent robot:

○ State, Sensors, Inferences, Plan● Re-calibrate plans and sensor data● Self-monitor plan enactment● Naturally express complex motion plans in terms of

high level objectives (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

HUMAN FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS

Simulator Sickness● Persistent head tracking at all times● Avoid sharp changes in acceleration

Motion Fatigue● Avoid repetitive movements ● Ensure that gestures are comfortable

● Awareness● Embodied Navigation● Dashboard ● Task Manager ● Mailbox● Database

WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE?

AWARENESS

DASHBOARD

TASK MANAGER

MAILBOX

DATABASE

FUTURE● Humans:

○ AR/VR Arenas○ Exoskeletons

● Robots:○ Cooperation & Communication ○ Robotic Self-Replication & Repair

● Technology:○ Increased AI ○ Internet of Things (IoT)

Questions?

[email protected]