Lunar Rover LiDAR (ALSTAR)

The Accurate Lunar Surveyor and Terrain-mapping Autonomous Rover (ALSTAR) project is developing a brassboard Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor that will be used for characterization and demonstrations for autonomous Lunar rovers. This brassboard unit will be designed with Lunar environment considerations, including utilizing a Lunar dust mitigation mechanism and possessing a broad operational temperature range. The ALSTAR LiDAR's performance will be evaluated under realistic terrain operational conditions at the JSC Rockyard, using existing rover platforms. ALSTAR is a 3-D Imaging LiDAR sensor with integrated real-time image processing algorithms used to enable autonomous surface mobility operation and to produce high resolution terrain maps. The system leverages the Terrain Sensing LiDAR (TSL) that has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and has successfully demonstrated precision navigation and hazard detection during rocket-powered vertical test bed, drone and helicopter flight tests. The ALSTAR LiDAR will operate as a “standalone sensor” to survey local terrain and detect obstacles (rocks, holes, and human artifacts) for optimum route planning, and to provide relative position, heading, and velocity data to enable autonomous navigation.  The hi-resolution elevation maps produced by the ALSTAR LiDAR will also support resource exploration and investigation of scientifically interesting locations. For example, ALSTAR will be capable of generating 3-D maps of caves that may contain water ice or can be used as shelters. Additionally, ALSTAR can identify docking port markers and provide proximity, bearing, and velocity data for habitat mating.  The basic functionality of the ALSTAR LiDAR sensor has already been demonstrated using a breadboard at the LaRC LiDAR test range.

Stereo cameras and commercially available LiDAR’s such as the ones that are used for automotive and space-based rendezvous and docking do not meet the performance and operational requirements of future surface mobility systems. Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs), and future Mars Terrain Vehicles, require long duration operation in extreme environments that necessitate active sensors for obstacle detection and route planning. These sensors must be able to generate elevation maps of the area ahead of the moving vehicle up to 100 meters distance in extreme lighting conditions, with sufficient resolution (on the order of centimeters), and have a rapid update rate with low latency. The ALSTAR LiDAR, unlike scanning LiDAR’s that require several seconds to acquire the terrain data and significant processing resources for vehicle motion compensation, will directly generate Digital Elevation Maps (DEMs), identify terrain obstacles, and determine surface slopes in real time. The novel image processing algorithms of the ALSTAR LiDAR will also provide critical 6 Degree of Freedom (6-DOF) state vector (position, heading and pitch angles) and vector velocity data for navigating the vehicle. The ALSTAR LiDAR will operate as a standalone sensor for route planning and navigation of the vehicle, even at high speeds (> 15 km/hr.). ALSTAR can generate high resolution terrain and hazard maps at 1 Hz. Therefore, ALSTAR operates even at 50 km/hr. (14 m/s) since it can reliably detect obstacles from > 50 m distance with 1 second update rate. The limitation is turning velocity. Lidar resolution and accuracy are affected when a vehicle is making a turn and the lidar FOV moves too rapidly. Turn velocity needs to be considered in the vehicle Concept of Operation (ConOps). The ALSTAR LiDAR will be smaller and consume less power than alternative technologies such as scanning and hybrid flash LiDAR’s. ALSTAR is estimated to have a mass less than 7 kg, draw less than 50 W of power, and can be integrated into all current and planned robotic and manned vehicle designs.

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