Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!cat.cis.Brown.EDU!agate!ames!kronos.arc.nasa.gov!doctor
From: doctor@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Terry Fong)
Subject: Dante II - Mt. Spurr Expedition Status (17-Jul-94)
Message-ID: <1994Jul31.080054.27461@ptolemy-ethernet.arc.nasa.gov>
Summary: status information on CMU/NASA volcano robot explorer
Keywords: Dante, teleoperations, volcano, Alaska
Sender: usenet@ptolemy-ethernet.arc.nasa.gov (usenet@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov)
Nntp-Posting-Host: tardis.arc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Ames Intelligent Mechanisms Group
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 1994 08:00:54 GMT
Lines: 106

The following is a status update on the Dante II project. Dante II is
an eight-legged robot (developed by the CMU Robotics Institute with
sponsorship from NASA) which is currently descending into the active
crater of Mt. Spurr, an Alaskan volcano 80 miles west of Anchorage,
Alaska. The primary objective of the Dante II project is to develop and
evaluate new techniques and technologies which can be applied to space
and planetary exploration. 

Throughout the Mt. Spurr expedition, Dante II is being remotely
operated from a base station in Anchorage using control station
software developed at CMU and NASA Ames. Live video coverage is
periodically available via NASA Select. Full mission details including
current status, real-time images/video, and technical data is available
via a WorldWideWeb server provided by the NASA Ames Intelligent
Mechanisms Group. This site can be accessed on the Internet using
information browsers such as NCSA Mosaic and the URL:

	http://maas-neotek.arc.nasa.gov/dante

Questions regarding the Dante II project may be addressed to me via email 
(terry@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov). Reponse time may be slow.

Terry Fong
NASA Ames Research Center

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Daily Report (17-Jul-1994)

Activities today were intentionally started later in the day, giving
the deployment team a chance to catch up on much needed rest before
the final push for the field test and the move to the volcano later
this week (the typical work day since arriving in Anchorage has been
to start the day with a team meeting/ breakfast at 8:00am to
coordinate the day's activities, and then to work straight through
until 1:00am or 2:00am the following morning, and then start all over
again).

The first task of the day was to complete the installation of the
command center at it's "permanent" location and bring it back on line.
Once the command center workstations were assembled and recabled,
satellite communications between the command center and the Dante
staging area were reestablished.  Dante was then remotely operated
through the GCI satellite connection from the command center.  Once
the satellite link operations were validated, the software team spent
the rest of the day finishing the modifications to the control
software now that the operational parameters for the robot have been
calibrated after the transport from Pittsburgh to Anchorage.  The
final software load will be verified tomorrow, then burned into PROM
for installation into Dante for the field test (this was going to be
done today, but the PROM burner is not due from Federal Express until
tomorrow morning).

In addition to the satellite link from the relocated command center,
the fiber optic communications link from Anchorage to Ames Research
Center was tested and verified.  Dante's actuator and position
information (displayed by the UI2D software, which is equivalent to
the robot's "dashboard", or instrument panel) was passed over the
connection to ARC, along with terrain maps obtained by the laser
scanner.  Versions of UI2D and the VEVI (NASA Ames Intelligent
Mechanisms Group) software displayed the data on the remote
workstations.  Together, these displays allow the operators at the
remote workstations to see exactly the same robot status information
that the controllers in Anchorage use to control Dante.  This same set
of displays will be placed on the remote control station at the
National Air and Space Museum when it is brought on line tomorrow.  In
addition, both remote sites will also be able to view the live video
received from Dante once the VTEL codecs are received and installed
(the digitized video will be sent to ARC via the fiber optic line, and
to Washington DC via the ACTS communications satellite).

On the science instrument side of things, the thermocouple mounted on
the leg of Dante and the carbon dioxide gas sensor are both
malfunctioning (and have been for a while).  The carbon dioxide sensor
has been removed and an attempt is being made to obtain a new sensor
before the deployment to the volcano.  If it cannot be replaced in
time for the volcano deployment, the anticipated impact to the science
data collection is expected to be minimal - the CO2 content of the
fumerole gases in the volcano crater is of secondary interest only.
The primary area of interest is still the H2S and SO2 levels, and both
of those sensors are still functioning properly.  Attempts are still
being made to recalibrate the thermocouple mounted to the leg of
Dante, although the loss of this sensor is also not expected to
significantly impact the science results.  A second thermocouple is
mounted to the body of Dante to provide ambient temperature
information, and a backup temperature sensor is available for
attachment to the leg if the primary thermocouple cannot be
calibrated.

Finally, the fabrication of the snow flukes for the anchoring system
was completed today (this was originally scheduled for yesterday, but
was postponed due to a heavier than expected workload).  This afforded
two members of the deployment team the opportunity to really "get
their hands dirty" in the UAA welding facility while constructing the
anchors from 12-gauge steel sheet (and proved that even a NASA program
manager can call upon 15-year old knowledge and still use a cutting
torch when necessary!).

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-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
 "Every once in a while declare        Terry Fong <terry@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov>
  peace. It confuses the hell out      NASA Ames, M/S 269-3, Moffett Field, CA
  of your enemies" -- Rule of Acq. #76      (415) 604-6063, (415) 604-6081 lab
