Mars Rover Receives AI, Thinks for Itself
Opportunity gets a dose of the "Smarts."
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory reports that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover "Opportunity" can now make its own decisions thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) firmware uploaded to the robot. This will be the first time the rover can work independently since it arrived on the rusty Martian surface seven years ago, allowing it to decide whether or not it wants to stop and analyze rocks in its lone journey across the planet.
The JPL said that the software was uploaded to Opportunity during the winter. "Now Opportunity's computer can examine images that the rover takes with its wide-angle navigation camera after a drive, and recognize rocks that meet specified criteria, such as rounded shape or light color," JPL said in a press release. "It can then center its narrower-angle panoramic camera on the chosen target and take multiple images through color filters."
Apparently the rover is already making decisions, sending back images of a football-shaped rock earlier this month. The rock was discovered while Opportunity analyzed a wide-angle photo taken at the end of a drive. Out of fifty rocks shown in the image, the rover decided that the martian football best suited the parameters previously set by the researchers.
"It found exactly the target we would want it to find," Estlin said. "This checkout went just as we had planned, thanks to many people's work, but it's still amazing to see Opportunity performing a new autonomous activity after more than six years on Mars."
Sounds like there's still life in that old bucket of bolts.
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That's really cool. And a 6-year lifespan on Mars' surface? Equally impressive.
Yes impressive. How long do they expect it to live?
After 6 years alone on a lifeless rock, it would probably decide it wants to come home.
this program is the best example why human space mission for exploration is utter waste of resources... I am not against human space missions, but a lot scientific analysis can be done without the involvement of human
They only expected it to live around around 6 months to a year I believe. I watched a show on it that was pretty cool actually.
I think it was only supposed to last a few months if I remember correctly.
I'm sorry, but I just watched the terminator series last week.
Skynet :
After 6 years alone on a lifeless rock, it would probably decide it wants to come home.
Like in this comic made by Randall Monroe?
I would just like to go on the record as saying: I, for one, welcome our future robot overlords.
Maybe the reason it can last so long is some aliens recharging its battery n fixing it!
I'd hate mars too..
http://www.theonion.com/articles/m [...] mars,2072/
"I have to sit here computing pi all day because Joker plugged in the overlord!"
Maybe the reason it can last so long is some aliens recharging its battery n fixing it!
Or solar panels
Ya, but can it play crisis yet.
JPL expected three months, hoped for a little over six months, the got a bigger bang for their buck than they expected. See, the program cost around $780 million, I think, at the time they were lauched, but they didn't do, "cheaper, quicker, faster", they did it right, dual rovers, in case one failed, put in lots of technology that allowed them to utilized the tech a decade past the launch date even though they never expected them to last that long, even in their wildest dreams.
More impressive is the actual hardware (CPU,RAM,etc) on that thing is probably lower than a PIII 500Mhz and yet, they manage to cram so much functionality in to it. Efficient coding any one?
we give it ai and run it till we think it dies then get up there 20 years later and it's built a little city lol.
I think this is a great idea in all seriousness. Anything we can do to increase our knowledge of the universe around us but we will need manned missions eventually there are some things we just can't do with robots.
don't these NASA people watch movies?? Everyone knows robots with AI want to kill humanity and take over the world!!
well, good luck doing that from Mars.
PETA disapproves of robots living on mars.
"I have to sit here computing pi all day because Joker plugged in the overlord!"
YES!
Or solar panels
Don't be ridiculous. Solar panels are a myth.
So what happens when that thing runs out of batteries? Is it gunna just know it's running low, start digging for energy and refuel itself?
It's finally proven: There's sentient "life" on Mars!
WOW! I didn't realise it's been 7 years! Considering the harsg climate I am surprised it is still working.
I would just like to go on the record as saying: I, for one, welcome our future robot overlords.
suckup!
anyone ever see Star Trek the motion picture.... They better put the creator on ice
Nice to see what hap[ens whenyou build something right.
Im quite impressed on the batteries that thin must have, that's a mad recharge rate.
I'm also impressed that all the materials haven't worn down to a state of worthlessness. Wish the wheels on the bike could last that long. Granted, it's cold, there's low gravity.
Honestly though, what has been N.A.S.A. been up to for the last few years?
"Sounds like there's still life in that old bucket of bolts."
That bucker of bolts is more complicated then all the PCs united under the same hood. I love this kind of advanced technology...AI ftw .
Honestly though, what has been N.A.S.A. been up to for the last few years?
Getting shafted by our presidents, one downsize at a time. Really, people need to show more interest in this, or the only pioneers we'll have will be Cell phone and Cable/Satellite providers.
I want to know how they got the AI working. Did they just flash the thing from earth?
"Please do not turn off your multi-million dollar space exploration rover until complete"
Now, it's only a matter of time until Opportunity actively seeks out Spirit in order to start replicating. xD