Miniaturized Interrogation System for Marsupial Rover Sensing Tether

Luna proposes to continue development of its marsupial rover sensing tether (MaRS Tether) technology by miniaturizing the sensor's interrogation system. Luna is currently engaged in a Phase II SBIR with NASA JPL (contract NNX13CP33P) to develop a revolutionary technology that monitors the distributed tension, curvature, and path of a tether that connects a marsupial rover robot to its base station. This sensing tether turns a passive cable that provides power and communication into a powerful tool that provides information about the health and state of both the rover and the tether, alerting the base station to possible pinch points, snagged cables, or high tension due to poor traction or steep slope encountered by the rover. Luna proposes to miniaturize the interrogation system of the MaRS Tether to enable JPL to realize the full potential of the rover. Reducing the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of the tether system will allow the rover to be tested in multiple realistic scenarios. In addition, miniaturization is the first step in preparing the entire sensing tether system for flight-readiness for missions to Mars, asteroids, and the rest of the Solar System.

The NASA market for self-sensing tethers is focused on missions featuring robotic exploration, especially using the Axel rover. NASA is planning specific missions including Mid-Size Rovers, Astrobiology Field Lab, Network Landers, Europa Explorer, and Titan-Enceladus Explorer to bring back samples from comets, asteroids, and the lunar south polar basin, and Mars. Market opportunities for tethered rovers within NASA often coincide with Mars exploration missions that are launched every 26 months. Prime contractors supporting NASA's rover missions include Lockheed Martin Astronautics. Reducing the size, weight, and power of the sensing tether's interrogation system will show the feasibility of including this technology on missions to asteroids, Mars, and the rest of the Solar System

Luna has already seen significant market pull for distributed fiber optic shape and position sensing in minimally invasive surgery. In 2014, Intuitive Surgical acquired Luna's shape sensing technology for use in medical applications. Luna's recent developments have generated interest outside of the medical arena, with inspections of military structures, human posture measurements, and long-range shape and position measurement all as potential areas of growth. Reducing the size, weight, and power of the interrogation system will enable this technology to meet a wider range of industry needs and bring it closer to industry adoption. The sensing tether technology has particular application in robotics, from search and rescue operations to underwater vehicles, and from tethered military robots to energy sector inspection robots.

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