ATHLETE Mobility Performance in Long-Range Traverse

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) is a modular mobility and manipulation platform being developed to support NASA operations in a variety of missions, including exploration of planetary surfaces. The agile system consists of a symmetrical arrangement of six limbs, each with seven articulated degrees of freedom and a powered wheel. This design enables transport of bulky payloads over a wide range of terrain and is envisioned as a tool to mobilize habitats, power-generation equipment, and other supplies for long-range exploration and outpost construction. As a milestone for the 2010 scal year, ATHLETE demonstrated the long-range traversing capability of the wheel-on-limb concept. ATHLETE was subjected to eight weeks of traverse testing and demonstrations over rolling natural terrain at two distinct eld locations: Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena, CA and the Black Point Lava Flow region north of Flagsta, AZ. During this period, ATHLETE traversed more than 80 km in total distance, increasing the cumulative traverse distance of all ATHLETE prototypes almost tenfold. This paper evaluates the mobility performance of ATHLETE during these long-range traverses and discusses recent upgrades to the onboard driving algorithms to improve traverse speed and eciency.