Paper Info
Title
Performance characterization of a rover navigation algorithm using large-scale simulation
Abstract
Autonomous rover navigation is a critical technology for robotic exploration of Mars. Simulation allows more extensive testing of such technologies than would be possible with hardware test beds alone. A large number of simulations, running in parallel, can test an algorithm under many different operating conditions to quickly identify the operational envelope of the technology and identify failure modes that were not discovered in more limited testing. GESTALT is the autonomous navigation algorithm developed for NASA's Mars rovers. ROAMS is a rover simulator developed to support the Mars program. We have integrated GESTALT into ROAMS to test closed-loop, autonomous navigation in simulation. We have developed a prototype capability to run many copies of ROAMS in parallel on a supercomputer, varying input parameters to rapidly explore GESTALT's performance across a parameter space. Using these tools, we have demonstrated that large scale simulation can identify performance limits and unexpected behaviors in an algorithm. Such parallel simulation was able to test approximately 500 parameter combinations in the time required for a single test on a hardware test bed.
Year
DOI
Venue
2007
10.1155/2007/638280
Scientific Programming
Keywords
Field
DocType
large-scale simulation,autonomous navigation algorithm,large scale simulation,rover navigation algorithm,hardware test bed,critical technology,autonomous navigation,mars rover,performance characterization,mars program,autonomous rover navigation,parallel simulation,single test,simulation
Mars Exploration Program,Parallel simulation,Supercomputer,Simulation,Computer science,Gestalt psychology,Algorithm,Parameter space,Mars rover
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
15
2
1058-9244
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
0
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Richard Madison150.86
Abhinandan Jain29516.57
Christopher Lim321.53
Mark Maimone4536.53