Autonomous Geologist for Planetary Exploration

Proper mapping of a planet's surrounding can offer in depth understanding about the geology of the surface and environmental conditions.The high cost of planetary rover missions limits risk-taking and as a result restricts scientific exploration.This constraint is further compounded by limited autonomy that requires time-consuming intervention of Earth-based operators to ensure safe operation in previously unexplored areas.The proposed autonomous classification system utilizes vision algorithms to gather textural information from the surface of rocks.The input is black and white