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Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analog Environments for Mars (LASSIE-M) investigated high mobility legged robots with terrain sensing technologies to offer a new approach to exploring Mars in which the robot itself is as much an instrument for scientific discovery as it is for mobility. This approach differs from the state-of-the-art capabilities of wheeled rovers, which serve primarily as mobile platforms that support instruments, and provides new-to-Mars surface operation concepts that support Mars exploration objectives.
Results from this project show that with a better understanding of how deformable and heterogenous substrates respond to leg interaction, legged robots exhibit high mobility in negotiating rough and unconsolidated terrains that could support accessing extreme or hazardous terrains that rovers or human explorers cannot safely traverse. Accessing a greater range of terrains expands exploration areas and increases the potential for discoveries. These force-sensing signals also provide direct geotechnical measurements for understanding the mechanical behaviors of the substrate, such as friction and cohesion, at every step along the robots path. (photo credit: Justin Turner)
The research conducted in the LASSIE-M project has accelerated the integration of robotics, science, and operations. It has advanced the capability of legged robots to switch gaits when they encounter differences in terrain including challenging steep terrain and scientifically-interesting terrains. Vision and depth sensing payloads advance detection of variable terrain types that, in addition to the leg proprioception, enable gait switching and provide key information for autonomous or human-in-the-loop decisions. Continuous path-based measurements by the legs and payloads have driven new operations approaches that use autonomy for path planning and scientific-sampling decisions in cooperation with humans in the field and in a backroom.
Looking ahead, it is envisioned that agile legged robots will serve as scouts: characterizing regolith geotechnical properties, flagging hazardous soft-sand regions, and identifying high-value science targets. Such scouting capability would directly enhance operational planning for wheeled rovers and astronaut explorers, extending the reach and safety of future Mars missions.
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