Initial Results of Rover Localization and Topographic Mapping for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission

• DOI: 10.14358/pers.71.10.1129
• Publication Date: 2013-11-27T02:33:41Z
• Authors: Rongxing Li; Steven W. Squyres; Raymond E. Arvidson; Brent A. Archinal; Jim Bell; Yang Cheng; Larry Crumpler; David J. Des Marais; Kaichang Di; Todd A. Ely; Matt Golombek; Eric Graat; John Grant; Joe Guinn; Andrew Johnson; Ron Greeley; Randolph L. Kirk; Mark Maimone; Larry H. Matthies; Mike Malin; Tim Parker; Mike Sims; Larry A. Soderblom; Shane Thompson; Jue Wang; Patrick Whelley; Fengliang Xu
• Keywords: 0209 industrial biotechnology; 02 engineering and technology; 15. Life on land

This paper presents the initial results of lander and rover localization and topographic mapping of the MER 2003 mission (by Sol 225 for Spirit and Sol 206 for Opportunity). The Spirit rover has traversed a distance of 3.2 km (actual distance traveled instead of odometry) and Opportunity at 1.2 km. We localized the landers in the Gusev Crater and on the Meridiani Planum using two-way Doppler radio positioning technology and cartographic triangulations through landmarks visible in both orbital and ground images. Additional high-resolution orbital images were taken to verify the determined lander positions. Visual odometry and bundleadjustment technologies were applied to overcome wheel slippages, azimuthal angle drift and other navigation errors (as large as 21 percent). We generated timely topographic products including 68 orthophoto maps and 3D Digital Terrain Models, eight horizontal rover traverse maps, vertical traverse profiles up to Sol 214 for Spirit and Sol 62 for