Planetary Robotics Vision Scout PRoViScout stands for “Planetary Robotics Vision Scout” It is a Collaborative Project in the frame of FP7 Space. Starting date: Apr 1st, 2010 Project duration: 30 Months Official Link: http://www.proviscout.eu ProViScout will demonstrate the combination of vision-based autonomous sample identification & sample selection with terrain hazard analysis for a long range scouting/exploration mission on a terrestrial planet. It brings together major European groups currently working on planetary robotic vision, supported by NASA-JPL from USA. Field Trials Tenerife 2012  - logbook NEW - VIDEO of Field Trials Trials Tenerife 2012   PROJECT FINAL REPORT (4,3 MB)

Most robotic planetary space missions performing in situ exploration of the surface and atmosphere for any planetary object outside the Earth involve a means of mobility provided by either a surface vehicle ( rover ) or by aerial vehicles (balloons, aerobots etc.). Mobile systems are among the most critical of all space missions in requiring a rapid and robust on-site processing and preparation of scientific data to allow efficient operations for a maximum use of their limited lifetime. In future the number and variety of such platforms will require more autonomy than is feasible today, particularly in the autonomous on-site selection of and access to scientific and mission-strategic targets. ProViScout will provide the robotic vision building blocks on board of such future autonomous exploration systems.

Therefore ProViScout aims to

1. build a framework for planetary robotic on-board vision processing,
2. develop the technology to autonomously select scientific sites of interest during future planetary robotic missions in order to maximize the mission value for scientific research, technology and education
3. develop a unified and generic approach for robotic vision on-board processing, namely the combination of navigation and scientific target selection
4. demonstrate the synergies and complementarities of existing solutions, and complete missing components by defining and demonstrating on-board robotic vision for a set of typical reference mission scenarios,
5. integrate all components into a framework ready for field demonstration
6. increase public awareness of planetary robotic exploration.

PRoViScout Participating Institutions

• JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Graz, A, DIGITAL - Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, Remote sensing and Geoinformation Research Group
• Aberystwyth University, UK, Department of Computer Science
• DLR, Berlin, D, Institute of Planetary Research
• Czech Technical University, Prague, CZ, Center for Machine Perception
• SCISYS UK Ltd., Bristol, UK
• University College London, UK, MSSL Imaging Group
• CSEM, Neuchatel, CH
• University of Leicester, UK, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• GMV, ES
• University of Strathclyde, UK
• TraSys, BE
• King's College London, UK

Further Links

• PRoViScout in FP7 Project List