Feature Tracking at Low Frame Rate for Roving at the Lunar South Pole

This project supports NASA’s Endurance mission, a next-generation autonomous rover designed to explore the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin and collect scientifically valuable samples for future return to Earth by Artemis astronauts. Because the rover must travel long distances with limited onboard computing power and under extreme lighting conditions, it must navigate using camera images captured at low frame rates. This project will develop and test robust methods that allow the rover to reliably recognize and track visual landmarks despite strong shadows and changing illumination. The work will be validated using real rover datasets and integrated into operational software, helping enable safe and efficient autonomous exploration on the Moon. The project will provide advanced research training in space robotics and autonomous systems while strengthening collaboration between academic institutions and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing knowledge and tools applicable to future lunar and planetary exploration missions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Kelly

Student:

Partner:

California Institute of Technology

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: