Speaker
Description
SCISYS is experienced in producing resilient software implementations of critical space flight algorithms. Recent developments in space qualified FPGA technologies have enabled a range of new applications for hardware accelerated algorithms for space applications. The reduction in execution time and resource usage allows for more complex algorithms to be used in a wider range of use cases. This paper presents the partial transfer of the ExoMars VisLoc Visual Odometry algorithm to an FPGA and discusses a wider range of potential applications in space.
The accurate localization of a vehicle on the Martian surface is crucial in allowing for operation of the vehicle to continue while direct contact to earth is interrupted. Due to the limited amount of time communication with a spacecraft in Mars orbit is possible, determination of the vehicle’s current position and attitude has to be carried out locally.
One possible solution to this is to make estimates based on visual data gathered by cameras on board of the vehicle. By making estimates based on the movement of the camera location the location data is independent of the terrain, achieving a high degree of accuracy in determination of both position and attitude.
The Visual Localisation flight software algorithm (VisLoc) was developed for the ExoMars rover. It is based on the core algorithm known as OVO (Oxford Visual Odometry), developed at the University of Oxford [1]. VisLoc was adapted over a number of projects to be a viable method of visual localization for Martian surface vehicles [2]. After subsequent further development by SCISYS as part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Rover Mission the VisLoc algorithm reached a technology readiness level (TRL) of 8.
In this paper we discuss the results of a study investigating the integration of an FPGA board into the VisLoc algorithm to accelerate the execution time of VisLoc with the aim of achieving an execution frequency of 1Hz while maintaining full parity between the software based algorithm and its accelerated counterpart. This accelerated version of the algorithm would then be deployed on European Space Agency’s Sample Fetching Rover (SFR), which intends to cover considerably larger distances than ExoMars in a similar timeframe [3].
| Paper submission | Yes |
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