Mobility-Platform-Enabled In-Situ Resource Utilization for Support of a Lunar Outpost

NASA's planned permanent return to the Moon will demand advances in many technologies. In order to enable such a goal and to maximize the capabilities of such a presence it will be necessary to use the lunar resources and materials available, commonly referred to as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). This benefit would come in a number of ways. Among the most important is that payloads launched from Earth can be smaller as supplies would be available at the mission site. This project will develop a multirobot system to support the planned and permanent return to the Moon. The network of communicating, cooperating, and autonomous agents is composed of three mobile robots outfitted with the ability to perform subsurface surveys and to clear and collect surface material on the Moon. The mission scenario considered is that of clearing and leveling of landing pad and preparing an access road to the pad.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Gabriele D'Eleuterio

Student:

Francis Frenzel, Kenneth Law, Paul Grouchy, Jonathan Gammell and Terence Fu

Partner:

Northern Centre for Advanced Technology and Electric Vehicle Controllers Ltd.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

University of Toronto