A low-power, high-dynamic range sensor system for long-term autonomy, navigation, and mapping on the lunar surface

This work proposes a stereo event camera rig for robust mapping and navigation on the lunar surface. Initial testing in Phase I validated our system’s ability to generate accurate depth maps from event data alone. New calibration techniques specific to event cameras were developed, adapting traditional computer vision approaches to handle asynchronous event data streams. In sum, this configuration shows great promise for use on autonomous and teleoperated systems operating on the lunar surface, where harsh lighting conditions are common and information is sparse. Phase II development will introduce a self-calibration regime for all sensors on the rig, allowing the system to produce accurate data over longer periods of time. Tangram Vision will also test the abilities of the proposed sensor system extensively on autonomous platforms in harsh terrestrial conditions as a proxy for the lunar surface. Tangram Vision intends to use the funding largely to develop and refine these novel self-calibration routines, depth synthesis algorithms, and odometry algorithms for the purpose of long-term autonomy. By the end of Phase II, our sensor system will have been tested on an autonomous platform in a lunar-like environment (the deserts of California). The majority of the grant will be devoted to algorithmic development, alongside integration testing with deployed platforms. Target markets for this innovation include any terrestrial or extraterrestrial system that is expected to behave autonomously for long durations and/or in changing environments. This includes space exploration systems (lunar rovers, autonomous landing systems, and other forms of space robotics), defense and military robotics (autonomous ground vehicles, systems operating at night, and high-speed platforms), and commercial autonomous systems (industrial robotics, mining, construction, humanoids, last-mile delivery, mobility, etc.).

NASA’s Artemis missions will return humans to the moon in order to establish long-term presence. Long-term autonomy is key to this mission, as NASA surface assets and vehicles will continue operations before, during, and after human presence on the lunar surface. In order to achieve this, new and novel sensing technologies are needed to enable long-term autonomy of LTVs and other robotic systems even through the extreme lighting conditions encountered at the lunar south pole. The proposed sensor suite uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors in a new and innovative way, one that Tangram Vision predicts will achieve these objectives handily. Many of the benefits of our system for extraterrestrial use, such as high dynamic range and extremely low latency, are exactly what's needed on the lunar surface. Relevant NASA mission programs include the Artemis missions (around which this grant is based) and Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS. In the private sector, lunar exploration systems like those built by Venturi Astrolab would benefit similarly to those forming NASA directives. For military applications: Robotics in the military are used and abused in the harshest conditions on Earth. A ruggedized version of this sensor system would enable these machines to do their work in more and varied conditions without risking their autonomous functions. For Commercial Autonomous Systems: In many cases, the proposed perception system could provide much of the desired functionality needed for basic autonomous function, like odometry, obstacle avoidance, and object detection. It can also supplement existing sensor rigs with e.g. LiDAR and radar functionality by sensing in high-speed/extreme lighting conditions. Even before our full sensor suite is realized, there are milestones that themselves can be commercialized and sold to private robotics companies. For instance, there is currently no easy-to-use self-calibration system on the market today, though it is a known pain point for all autonomy deployments. The self-calibration software proposed in this grant could be the first of its kind, enabling Tangram Vision to address many markets' worth of companies with a single technological achievement.

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.

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