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Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are increasingly becoming a critical tool for growers and researchers. We describe how the technology has advanced, starting with a commercially available WSN node and pushing the technology to make the data more meaningful, actionable and to add advanced irrigation control functionality. User features such as spatial views, custom charts, real-time data access, remote access, irrigation control, alerts, and plant models help create an advanced WSN system that is user centric. Growers and researchers were involved in the design process by directly communicating with the design engineers, and continuously using and testing new features, resulting in a user-centric design and experience. The results of this research are being rolled into a new line of commercial products and is continuously evolving based on user feedback and interaction.

Scarab is a prototype rover for Lunar missions to survey resources in polar craters. It is designed as a prospector that would use a deep coring drill and apply soil analysis instruments to measure the abundance of elements of hydrogen and oxygen and other volatiles including water. Scarab’s chassis can adjust the wheelbase and height to stabilize its drill in contact with the ground and can also adjust posture to better ascend and descend steep slopes. This enables unique control of posture when moving and introduces new planning issues. Scarab has undergone field testing at Lunar-analog sites in Washington and Hawaii in an effort to quantify and validate its mobility and navigation capabilities. We report on results of the experiments in slope ascent and descent and in autonomous kilometer-distance navigation in darkness.

Planetary rovers are increasingly challenged to negotiate extreme terrain. Early destinations have been benign to preclude risk, but canyons, funnels, and newly discovered holes present steep slopes that defy tractive descent. Steep craters and holes with unconsolidated material pose a particularly treacherous danger to modern rovers. This research explores robotic braking by plowing, a novel method for decreasing slip and improving mobility while driving on steep unconsolidated slopes. This technique exploits subsurface strength that is under, not on, weak soil. Starting with experimental work on Icebreaker, a tracked rover, and concluding with detailed plow testing in a wheel test-bed the plow is developed for use. This work explores using plows of different diameters and at different depths as well as the associated braking force. By plowing the Icebreaker rover can successfully move on a slope with a high degree of accuracy thereby enabling science targets on slopes and crater walls to now be considered accessible.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are an invaluable tool in agriculture. Currently these systems are good at reporting and logging data. Some recent work has focused on making the data useful and actionable. The next step in WSNs is the ability to automatically use that data for irrigation control. This can help minimize labor and reduce water usage.

We propose a new multi-hop routing protocol for wireless sensor networks, suited for monitoring and control applications. The aim of this research is to adapt flat and hierarchical architectures to create a new hybrid that draws on current protocol theories. The protocol uses a hybrid network structure to achieve scalability and is source initiated along with time driven reporting to reduce the number of packet transmissions. The protocol incorporates a link quality estimation algorithm, which enables only the nodes with high quality symmetric links to be chosen for routing. Route selection is calculated using both hop count and link quality as routing metrics. The protocol is also designed such that it is computationally simple, reliable, energy aware, does not impose any special hardware prerequisites and most importantly credible. Its credibility was verified by performing a series of field tests in a real world operating environment.

Scarab is a prototype rover for lunar missions to survey resources, particularly water ice, in polar craters. It is designed as a prospector that would use a deep coring drill and apply soil analysis instruments. Its chassis can transform to stabilize its drill in contact with the ground and can also adjust posture to ascend and descent steep slopes. Scarab has undergone field testing at lunar analogue sites in Washington and Hawaii in an effort to quantify and validate its mobility and navigation capabilities. We report on results of experiments in slope ascent and descent and in autonomous kilometer-distance navigation in darkness.

Scarab is a prospecting rover for lunar missions to survey resources, particularly water ice, in polar craters. It is designed for the deployment of a deep coring drill and for transport of soil analysis instruments. Its chassis can transform to stabilize the drill in contact with the ground and can also adjust to ascend and descent steep slopes of unconsolidated soil. Additional features include a compact body for better thermal regulation, laser scanners for dark navigation, and power system designed for a persistent, low-capacity source. Scarab was prototyped at the Robotics Institute, has undergone mobility testing in soils laboratories and field sites leading up to an integrated system test including the RESOLVE drill and instrument suite at the PISCES lunar analogue site on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.