require sufficient autonomy to robustly approach rock targets and place an instrument in contact with them. It took the 1997 Sojourner Mars rover between 3 and 5 communications cycles to accomplish this. This paper describes the technologies being developed and integrated onto the NASA Ames K9 prototype Mars rover to both accomplish this in one cycle, and to extend the complexity and duration of operations that a Mars rover can accomplish without intervention from mission control

This paper describes the ongoing development of the Roams physics-based simulator for planetary surface exploration rover vehicles. Roams includes models for various subsystems and components of the robotic vehicle including its mechanical subsystem, an electrical subsystem, internal and external sensors, on-board resources, on-board control software, the terrain environment and the terrain/vehicle interactions. The Roams simulator can be used for standalone simulation, closed-loop simulations with on-board software or for operator-in-the-loop simulations. 1

Abstract — Future planetary rover missions, such as the

This paper describes recent developments in the ROAMS physics-based simulator for planetary surface exploration rover vehicles. ROAMS includes models for various sub-systems and components of the robotic vehicle including its mechanical subsystem, sensors, on-board resources, on-board control software, the terrain environment and ter-raidvehicle interactions. The ROAMS simulator can be used for stand-alone simulation, closed-loop simulations with on-board software or for operator-in-the-loop simulations. 1