🚀 AI makes Mars rovers autonomous

2024-08-06 04:00:03

Mars rovers like Perseverance are pushing the boundaries of space exploration with artificial intelligence. Instruments like PIXL, with real-time analysis capabilities, are now accelerating the search for minerals by making missions more autonomous and responsive. The rover no longer has need to wait for terrestrial instructions to analyze the rock samples.

A selfie taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars.
Credit: NASA

For nearly three years, Perseverance has been using AI to identify minerals in Martian rocks. Using a technology called “adaptive sampling,” the rover automatically positions PIXL near rock targets, performs scans, and selects the most promising minerals for further analysis. The PIXL instrument is critical to determining Mars’ past environmental conditions. By mapping the chemical composition of minerals, it helps identify rocks that may have harbored microbial life. This ability to analyze autonomously greatly accelerates the collection of scientific data.

Perseverance’s AI isn’t limited to chemical analysis. The rover also uses advanced algorithms to navigate autonomously and perform complex tasks without direct human assistance. This increased autonomy allows for more efficient exploration of Mars, despite communication lags.

By microscopically adjusting PIXL’s position, the AI ​​ensures accurate analyses, even with temperature variations on Mars that can affect alignment. This allows for detailed maps of minerals, facilitating the discovery of carbonates or phosphates, which are essential for understanding the geological history of Mars.

This image of the rocky target “Thunderbolt Peak” was created by Perseverance using PIXL, which determines the mineral composition of rocks by hitting them with X-rays. Each blue dot represents an area where a X ray touched.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DTU/QUT

The success of AI on Mars paves the way for even more autonomous missions in the future. As future missions move further away from Earth, the importance of AI that can make decisions without human intervention becomes crucial to the success of space exploration.

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