Duration: 12 months
The topic of this study is close-range remote sensing of the planetary surface by an XR-teleoperated mobile robotic platform with light field imaging capabilities. In the future, orbital space stations or ground research facilities can benefit from teleoperated mobile robots, which can safely explore the planetary surface. Light fields provide six degrees of freedom (6DOF), so the images captured by the robot can be studied later from multiple perspectives. In the case of geological sampling, this can help to conduct an initial analysis and determine if the sample is worth collecting for further research. Teleoperated robots rarely use light field technology, and together with current state-of-the-art XR hardware, it should be possible to improve the operator's awareness and performance levels. This study aims to answer the following research questions: a) will the XR-teleoperated mobile robotic platform be useful for remote geological sampling? and b) will light fields of the geological samples provide additional value for the planetary surface exploration compared to conventional imaging techniques? The outcome of the study is an integrated system for XR-teleoperation of a mobile robotic platform for remote geological sampling and imaging, as well as results of the user evaluation of the said system. This study will be based on the previously developed solution for the ESA-LightSpace project.
