Page 27 - Robots Androids and Animatrons : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build

1.2 Sojourner Rover. Photo courtesy of NASA

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Measuring sinkage in Martian soil
Logging vehicle performance data
Determining the rover’s thermal characteristics
Tracking rover imaging sensor performance
Determining UHF link effectiveness
Analysis of material abrasion
Analysis of material adherence
Evaluating the alpha proton X-ray spectrometer
Evaluating the APXS deployment mechanism
Imaging of the lander
Performing damage assessment

Sojourner was controlled (driven) via telepresence by an Earth-
based operator. The operator navigated (drove) the rover using
images obtained from the rover and lander. Because the time delay
between the Earth operator’s actions and the rover’s response was
between 6 and 41 minutes depending on the relative positions of
Earth and Mars, Sojourner had onboard intelligence to help pre-
vent accidents, like driving off a cliff.
Team LRN
Chapter one