QUT researchers are leading development of navigation systems for Australia's first lunar rover to ensure it stays on course when it lands on the Moon around the end of this decade.
As part of the Australian consortium ELO2, QUT experts in robotics and planetary science will develop positioning systems that assist the semi-autonomous rover to safely explore the lunar surface with limited onboard computing power.
Affectionately nicknamed Roo-ver, the rover will be designed, built, tested and operated in Australia through the consortium of industry partners, research organisations and 10 universities, working in partnership with the Australian Space Agency.
Once launched, it will be remotely operated from an Australian mission control centre and work alongside NASA in establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
The work out of QUT, led by Associate Professor Thierry Peynot from the QUT Centre for Robotics, will leverage the university's recently launched Yandiwanba facility – the largest covered testing environment in Australia for field robotics and equipment under realistic lunar conditions.
Yandiwanba, a Yugara word meaning 'to go from the ground to a higher place', was developed by a large QUT team led by Professor Peynot and houses a 19m x 11.4m lunar test bed filled with lunar regolith simulant.
"Yandiwanba allows us to recreate the challenges of lunar exploration here on Earth, so we can trial and refine the systems that will eventually guide Roo-ver on the Moon," Professor Peynot said.
"A core focus of our work will be using the lander as a landmark to guide the rover during the mission, while using limited resources. We will also be investigating visual object detection – detecting rocks, craters and other phenomena of interest."
Professor Michael Milford, Director of the QUT Centre for Robotics, said the whole team was very excited to be a part of the initiative.
"Obviously, the Moon presents an environment unlike anywhere on Earth," Professor Milford said.
"QUT's world-class robotics expertise, especially in areas like robotic vision and navigation technologies, is a key capability we bring to the challenge of navigating on the Moon.
"There are no GPS satellites, the terrain is harsh and computing resources are limited. Our team is working on new approaches to robotic vision, scene understanding and localisation that will help keep Roo-ver safe and on course."
ELO2 and Roo-ver Mission Director Ben Sorensen said it was "a privilege to have QUT as part of the Roo-ver Mission and the ELO2 Consortium".
"QUT is home to world-class testing facilities in Brisbane, and these are matched with the world-class expertise of their robotics researchers," Mr Sorensen said.
"Navigating the terrain of the lunar surface – 384,000 kilometres away – is an incredibly complex task, and the work Professor Peynot and his team are undertaking on Roo-ver's navigation systems will be vital to the Mission's success."
Professor Milford said the centre's researchers have become particularly interested in developing robotic systems that can operate in extreme environments.
"There are many parallels between operating on the Moon and in Antarctica, centre teams have operated drones and submersible robots as part of the Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future initiative," he said.
The QUT team also includes Professor Niko Suenderhauf and Dr Dimity Miller from the QUT Centre for Robotics and Associate Professor David Flannery from the QUT School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
The Australian Government has committed $42 million through the Australian Space Agency to this phase of the mission, which builds on the nation's recognised strengths in robotics, automation, remote operations, engineering, science and advanced manufacturing.
QUT is currently attending the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) which runs in Sydney from 29 September to 3 October.
