Balloon based aerobots have much to offer ESA's future planetary exploration programmes, e.g. high resolution mapping, landing site selection, rover guidance, data relay, sample site selection, payload delivery, and atmospheric measurement and meteorology. Aerobots could be used in a variety of configurations from uncontrolled free-flying to tethered rover operation, and are able to perform a range of important tasks which other exploration vehicles cannot. In many ways they provide a missing 'piece' of the exploration 'jigsaw', acting as a bridge between the capabilities of in-situ landers and rovers and non-contact orbiters. Technically, a Lighter than Air (LTA) aerobot concept is attractive because it is low risk, low-cost, efficient, and much less complex than Heavier than Air (HTA) vehicles such as fixed wing gliders, and crucially, much of the required technology 'building blocks' currently exist. Smart imaging and localisation is a key enabling technology for remote aerobots. Given the current lack of comprehensive localisation and communications systems, it is important that aerobots are equipped with the ability to determine their location, with respect to a planet's surface. The availability of a variety of terrain feature extraction, point tracking, and image compression algorithms, means that a self-reliant system is now achievable. We have developed a demonstrator imaging and localisation package (ILP) for a Martian balloon. This ILP system incorporates a unique combination of image based relative and absolute localisation techniques. We have demonstrated our ILP using both simulation and a real laboratory based model aerobot. The availability of both simulated and real aerobot data thus providing a comprehensive test and evaluation framework for the ILP functionality. The results from our work are presented in this paper.

Aerobot technology is generating a good deal of interest in planetary exploration circles. Balloon based aerobots have much to offer ESA's Aurora programme, e.g. high resolution mapping, landing site selection, rover guidance, data relay, sample site selection, payload delivery, and atmospheric measurement. Aerobots could be used in a variety of configurations from uncontrolled free-flying to tethered rover operation, and are able to perform a range of important tasks which other exploration vehicles cannot. In many ways they provide a missing ‘piece’ of the exploration ‘jigsaw’, acting as a bridge between the capabilities of in situ rovers and non-contact orbiters. Technically, a lighter than air (LTA) aerobot concept is attractive because it is low risk, low-cost, efficient, and much less complex than heavier than air (HTA) vehicles such as fixed wing gliders, and crucially, much of the required technology ‘building blocks’ currently exist. Smart imaging and localisation is a key enabling technology for remote aerobots. Given the current lack of comprehensive localisation and communication systems, it is important that aerobots are equipped with the ability to determine their location, with respect to a planet's surface, to a suitable accuracy and in a self-sufficient way. The availability of a variety of terrain feature extraction, point tracking, and image compression algorithms means that such a self-reliant system is now achievable. We are currently developing a demonstrator imaging and localisation package (ILP) for a Martian balloon. This ILP system will incorporate a unique combination of image based relative and absolute localisation techniques. We propose to demonstrate our ILP using both simulation and a real laboratory based model aerobot. The availability of both simulated and real aerobot data will provide a comprehensive test and evaluation framework for the ILP functionality.

Balloon based planetary aerobots can be used for a variety of applications such as high resolution imaging and rover guidance. However short to medium term missions of this type will be constrained in terms of power, communications, data storage and processing capability. To be of use, they must be able to localise and manage image data in an autonomous manner, including intelligent prioritisation of images. This paper discusses the development of an intelligent imaging and localisation software package and demonstrator which will help to provide such an autonomous capability.

Airborne robots, or aerobots, are fast becoming potential experiment delivery and planetary analysis vehicles. With the current trend towards a faster, better, cheaper methodology, aerobots seem to offer significant advantages over rovers and other methods of planetary exploration. This paper describes work performed in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, as part of a PhD project, to examine potential methods that could be used to make an aerobot mission a realistic prospect. An essential part of any aerobot mission will be environmental analysis using a number of specialised sensors. These sensors are potentially made up of accelerometers and gyroscopes together with a wind sensor such as an anemometer and possibly temperature sensors. Such sensors will be used to allow the aerobot to quantify the weather patterns of the target planet and to determine the best course of action to achieve its goals. For a planet such as Mars, we have a relatively good knowledge of the global climate, but for an aer obot mission to succeed we must be able to analyse and determine the local climatic conditions around the aerobots' current position. In keeping with the faster, better, cheaper methodology it is important to minimise the number of sensors carried by an aerobot. It therefore seems reasonable to provide sensors that can play a dual role in order to maximise the use of the gathered data. That is, if environmental data could be extracted from sensors primarily used for flight control, we would be further minimising cost whilst not impacting the level of scientific analysis performed. The main focus of the work at Aberystwyth has been to investigate a potential method for retrieving environmental data from sensors that are primarily used to control flight. Using the FlightGear open source flight simulator together with terrain produced from MOLA data and realistic Martian weather patterns extracted from a Navier Stokes simulation, we have been able to produce a model of Mars that affords the ability to simulate an aerobot on a planetary exploration mission. In order for the aerobot to survive on Mars it must be able to react quickly to situations without operator input due to the long communications delay. Therefore any mission information sent to the aerobot from Earth must be at an abstract level. To simulate this we have developed an autopilot that is functionally similar to that in a conventional aircraft and allows the aerobot to carry out these abstract instructions. The autopilot was bu ilt upon a fuzzy rule base that was trained with high-level flight operations. After numerous simulated aerobot flights, rule activation surfaces were produced. By examining these activation surfaces coupled with aer obot state data we are able to infer the external meteorological perturbations experienced by the aerobot. An analogy can be made with a conventional passenger jet flying through turbulence. The pilot of such a jet is providing input to the control surfaces of the aircraft to counteract turbulence. If the control input is examined together with positional information, we can infer the external perturbations the aircraft is experiencing and hence determine the external meteorology.

For those planets and moons that support an atmosphere, ying robots are likely to provide a practical solution to the problem of extended planetary surface coverage for terrain mapping, and surface/sub-surface composition surveying. Not only could such devices be used for suborbital mapping of terrain regions, but they could be used to transport and deploy science packages or even microrovers at di erent geographically separate land sites. Whilst much attention has been given to the use of rovers for planetary exploration, most notably the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Mars Path nder mission and the Sojourner rover [1], the use of ying robots, or aerobots, for planetary exploration represents a highly innovative concept. Whilst rover technology is clearly competent at facilitating useful science, their application is terrain limited. They are capable of travelling relatively small distances and much of a planet's terrain is impassable to small wheeled vehicles, aerobots in comparison have no such limitations. The technological challenges posed by planetary aerobots are signi cant, and the authors are investigating the design and control of helium lled balloon robots that can y autonomously to designated landing sites. To study these problems we have constructed ALTAIR1 which is the rst aerobot to be designed as part of our ALTAIR (Aberystwyth Lighter Than Air Intelligent Robot) research programme. ALTAIR-1 is a modular laboratory based aerobot designed for rapid prototyping and experimentation within a controlled environment. Typical modules include: ight control and navigation microcontroller(s), beacon detection, altimeter and landing sensors, electrical power, vectored propulsion units, and aerobot to ground station RF communications. All modules are housed in the ALTAIR-1 gondola, which is supported from a helium lled spherical balloon. This paper provides an overview of our ALTAIR-1 aerobot.

Airborne robots, or aerobots, are fast becoming potential experiment delivery and planetary analysis vehicles. With the current trend towards a faster, better, cheaper methodology, aerobots seem to offer significant advantages over rovers and other methods of planetary exploration. This paper describes work performed in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, as part of a PhD project, to examine potential methods that could be used to make an aerobot mission a realistic prospect. An essential part of any aerobot mission will be environmental analysis using a number of specialised sensors. These sensors are potentially made up of accelerometers and gyroscopes together with a wind sensor such as an anemometer and possibly temperature sensors. Such sensors will be used to allow the aerobot to quantify the weather patterns of the target planet and to determine the best course of action to achieve its goals. For a planet such as Mars, we have a relatively good knowledge of the global climate, but for an aer obot mission to succeed we must be able to analyse and determine the local climatic conditions around the aerobots' current position. In keeping with the faster, better, cheaper methodology it is important to minimise the number of sensors carried by an aerobot. It therefore seems reasonable to provide sensors that can play a dual role in order to maximise the use of the gathered data. That is, if environmental data could be extracted from sensors primarily used for flight control, we would be further minimising cost whilst not impacting the level of scientific analysis performed. The main focus of the work at Aberystwyth has been to investigate a potential method for retrieving environmental data from sensors that are primarily used to control flight. Using the FlightGear open source flight simulator together with terrain produced from MOLA data and realistic Martian weather patterns extracted from a Navier Stokes simulation, we have been able to produce a model of Mars that affords the ability to simulate an aerobot on a planetary exploration mission. In order for the aerobot to survive on Mars it must be able to react quickly to situations without operator input due to the long communications delay. Therefore any mission information sent to the aerobot from Earth must be at an

Balloon based aerobots have much to ofier ESA’s future planetary exploration programmes, e.g. high resolution mapping, landing site selection, rover guidance, data relay, sample site selection, payload delivery, and atmospheric measurement and meteorology. Aerobots could be used in a variety of conflgurations from uncontrolled free-∞ying to tethered rover operation, and are able to perform a range of important tasks which other exploration vehicles cannot. In many ways they provide a missing ‘piece’ of the exploration ‘jigsaw’, acting as a bridge between the capabilities of in-situ landers and rovers and non-contact orbiters. Technically, a Lighter than Air (LTA) aerobot concept is attractive because it is low risk, low-cost, e‐cient, and much less complex than Heavier than Air (HTA) vehicles such as flxed wing gliders, and crucially, much of the required technology ‘building blocks’ currently exist. Smart imaging and localisation is a key enabling technology for remote aerobots. Given the current lack of comprehensive localisation and communications systems, it is important that aerobots are equipped with the ability to determine their location, with respect to a planet’s surface. The availability of a variety of terrain feature extraction, point tracking, and image compression algorithms, means that a self-reliant system is now achievable. We are currently developing a demonstrator imaging and localisation package (ILP) for a Martian balloon 1 . This ILP system incorporates a unique combination of image based relative and absolute localisation techniques. We propose to demonstrate our ILP using both simulation and a real laboratory based model aerobot. The availability of both simulated and real aerobot data will provide a comprehensive test and evaluation framework for the ILP functionality.