(麻豆淫院Org.com) -- Computer science professor's software innovations give NASA robotic explorer extra capabilities, without the cost in time or money to develop mechanical components.

Experimental roboticist Marty Vona won鈥檛 be flying to the moon.

But his National Science Foundation-funded work on a could help astronauts explore the big rock in the sky on a within the next decade.

Vona, an assistant professor of computer and information science, collaborated with NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, California to design a software interface for the research and development center鈥檚 ATHLETE, or All Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra Terrestrial Explorer.

The six-legged vehicle can carry heavy payloads on its hexagonal surface; dig trenches and pick up objects using tools that can attach to its wheels; take stereoscopic video of its surroundings using cameras imbedded in the face of the frame; and navigate rough terrain. A half-sized prototype of the , which travels 10 kilometers per hour, is more than 6 feet tall and 9 feet in diameter.

But as originally developed, the robot had its limitations. That鈥檚 where Vona came in. He used algorithms to virtually modify the robot by adding joints and links to a graphical representation of the vehicle. The joints function like elbows, while the links work like forearms.

Through Vona鈥檚 , users can interconnect these 鈥渧irtual articulations鈥� with a model of the actual robot, enabling it to execute a variety of previously challenging coordinated motion tasks, as if the virtual components actually existed鈥� saving NASA time and money.

鈥淩obots are large and expensive,鈥� said Vona, whose scholarship focuses on robotics operations and control, 鈥渟o you want to be sure you know how they鈥檙e going to perform under certain conditions.鈥�

In a perfect world, 鈥渁stronauts and the lunar robot will be roving around the moon as a team.鈥�

Before joining the Northeastern faculty, Vona spent two years at the Jet Propulsion Lab, where he created the science operations software for the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers. Vona earned the 2004 NASA Software of the Year Award for his work.
He鈥檚 had a passion for building robots for as long as he can remember.

At around age 6, he wrote a letter outlining his wishes for humankind. 鈥淚 wish that anyone could do anything if they tried,鈥� the note said. 鈥淔or example, anyone could make a robot to do all the housework . . . life would be a lot easier.鈥�

Provided by Northeastern University