Lunar Exploration through Co-operative Rovers Using Smart Navigation
Bibek Adhikari, Rakesh Yadav, Jinaykumar Patel, Kamesh Subbarao
Abstract
This paper introduces a multi-rover system equipped with advanced Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) and a communication architecture designed for lunar exploration. The multi-rover system incorporates a centralized base station coordinating rovers to maximize lunar exploration within the network constraint. A key feature of this system is the integration of autonomous capabilities in the rovers, enhanced by visual SLAM for rover localization. The model employs MPC to navigate the rovers along predefined paths, incorporating a range of constraints including limitations on wheel angular velocities, communication range restrictions, and the necessity for crater avoidance. To test and validate the proposed system, simulations are conducted within the Gazebo simulation environment, fully integrated with the ROS framework, effectively replicating the physical behavior of the rovers. The simulation encompasses three distinct case studies. The study involves navigating a rover from the base station to the periphery of the safe communication range. Subsequently, the rovers are guided along circular trajectories, designed to ensure continuous communication both among the rovers and between the rovers and the base station. Through these simulations, the paper demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed framework in a lunar exploration context.