Space Topics: Mars Exploration Rovers
The Year in Pictures: 2007
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity: Rovers Get Smarter with Age
Credit: NASA / JPL / Cornell |
The amazing longevity of the Mars
Exploration Rovers has given software developers an unanticipated opportunity to develop and
test new artificial intelligence capability that will benefit not only Spirit
and Opportunity but also the next generation of rovers to be sent to Mars.
Opportunity captured this panorama when the rover was near the farthest reach
of its partial circumnavigation of Victoria crater. The rover was deliberately
driven toward a small impact crater, called Granada, to test new hazard avoidance
software. When Opportunity is navigating according to waypoints, commanded
by its Earth-based drivers, it typically moves in arrow-straight line segments.
Here, as the hazard avoidance software kicked in, Opportunity's track deviates
from straight, taking a gentle curve to avoid the rough terrain around the
little crater.
The image was taken on Opportunity's sol 1,162, May 1, 2007. The image here is reduced in resolution from the original, which is available from the Pancam team website.
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