Rover Slip Estimation and Traction Control for Optimal Mobility in Lunar Environments

ProtoInnovations, LLC and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology propose to continue the maturation and validation of combined slip estimation and traction control software algorithms, called the Mobility Optimizer, for improved robotic or manned rover wheeled locomotion on The Moon. The Mobility Optimizer provides a dramatic improvement to current slip estimation and traction control strategies implemented on planetary rovers. These new software algorithms could significantly improve access to new areas on the Moon and ensure that rovers have reduced risk of entrapment. The Mobility Optimizer slip estimation software utilizes features from proprioceptive sensors as an input to a machine learning algorithm that classifies slip as low, medium, or high. The Mobility Optimizer traction control software then uses this slip estimate to modify the velocity of the wheels to improve traction and correct for rover kinematic incompatibility. The Mobility Optimizer can be implemented using existing sensors on rovers and does not require significant computational processing power or memory. The combination of low-size/weight/power components and the high value of preventing potential mission ending phenomena, such as rover entrapment, make the Mobility Optimizer an attractive technology for continued maturation and validation in lunar-relevant environments.

The Mobility Optimizer could have an immediate impact on the mobility systems of planned robotic or manned rovers such as the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), small rovers that are a part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, or even the new Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).

Our primary target markets for the Mobility Optimizer and subsystem technologies (slip estimation, state estimation, and traction controls) are in transportation, construction, agriculture, and mining. These industries have a need for safe and efficient mobility and specifically all-terrain and work-site mobility

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.