In June of 1997, Carnegie Mellon University 's Field Robotics Center , in conjunction with the NASA Ames Intelligent Mechanisms Group and the University of Iowa's GROK Lab, sent Nomad, an interplanetary robot prototype, to the Atacama Desert in Chile, South America. It's mission was to traverse 200 km of rugged desert terrain (much like that of the Moon or Mars) in 40 days. In order to increase public awareness and participation, an exhibit was set up in the Electric Horizon Theatre at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. By combining safeguraded teleoperation withfeguraded teleoperation with onboard panoramic visualization and a novel user interface, the Atacama Trek provided the general public an unforgettable Interactive experience and the first opportunity to remotely drive an exploratory robot.

The GROK Lab developed Nomad's telepresent interface. This high-performance graphics software provided approximately 30,000 remote drivers with a view of the desert taken by the robot's panospheric camera. Innovative application of technolgy and creative visualization of the data allowed drivers to see the terrain around the robot without major time delays. Throughout the mission, the largest time delay was about 4-5 seconds. Results indicate that constant updating of the images overcame the historical time-delay barriers that was prevelant with the wait-and-see strategy. Experienced NASA robot operators found that the system improved their ability to safely drive the robot. NASA geologists using the telepresent interface found that it significantly enhanced their ability to interpret the remote geology. One of the geologists' most exciting findings during the mission was the discovery of a potential 3-cm long algae fossil.

In addition to designing the telepresent interface, three GROK Lab members took an active part in the mission itself. Undergraduate Emily Wiese spent the duration of the mission with the Stateside Team in Pittsburgh. She served as a liaison between the GROK liaison between the GROK Lab and the Field Robotics Center, as well as working as a docent for the exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center. Undergraduates Steven Dow and April Rathe joined the Desert Team in the Atacama Desert during the final and most critical phase of the mission. They assisted in tracking the robot's path and maintaining communication with the drivers at the Carnegie Science Center.

By following this link, you will be able to read various press releases and see photos describing the GROK Lab's involement with Nomad and his Atacama Desert Trek.

Additional Links and information: Crystal Ball, Calibration, Image Overlay, Pearls Display.