SPEAKER: Stefan Moser, PhD fellow at ITU.
ABSTRACT: The prospect of human missions to Mars introduces significant challenges, as harsh environmental conditions and limited resources demand more advanced and efficient human-robot collaboration than current rover operations. This talk presents a semi-autonomous exploration system that combines robotic autonomy with human decision-making. A server-side task manager handles dynamic task generation and distribution, while an onboard system autonomously executes high-level instructions. Human operators can supervise and intervene as needed through an intuitive interface, ensuring a balance between autonomy and control.
The system was implemented and evaluated during the AMADEE-24 analog Mars mission by the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), demonstrating considerable potential to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and safety in future planetary exploration missions.