ICRA 2022 Vandi Verma - NASA Robots on Mars and the Future Missions They Inspire

The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter are using more autonomous capability than any robot NASA has sent to another world. Operating robots on distant planetary bodies presents unique challenges. Key design choices have enabled the unprecedented utility of autonomous robotic capabilities such as autonomous surface and aerial navigation, science observations, and manipulation. I discuss key design choices, challenges encountered, and the new capabilities that will be necessary for NASA's daring missions of the future.