Field Assessment of Force Torque Sensors for Planetary Rover Navigation

TL;DR

This study evaluates the performance and potential applications of force-torque sensors on planetary rovers, highlighting their advantages and challenges compared to traditional IMUs for terrain interaction analysis.

Contribution

It provides an empirical assessment of force-torque sensors in planetary rover navigation, including data collection, analysis of challenges, and opportunities for future sensor integration.

Findings

Force-torque sensors offer valuable terrain interaction data.

Sensor signal reliability varies across terrains and conditions.

Open dataset enables further research and development.

Abstract

Proprioceptive sensors on planetary rovers serve for state estimation and for understanding terrain and locomotion performance. While inertial measurement units (IMUs) are widely used to this effect, force-torque sensors are less explored for planetary navigation despite their potential to directly measure interaction forces and provide insights into traction performance. This paper presents an evaluation of the performance and use cases of force-torque sensors based on data collected from a six-wheeled rover during tests over varying terrains, speeds, and slopes. We discuss challenges, such as sensor signal reliability and terrain response accuracy, and identify opportunities regarding the use of these sensors. The data is openly accessible and includes force-torque measurements from each of the six-wheel assemblies as well as IMU data from within the rover chassis. This paper aims to inform the design of future studies and rover upgrades, particularly in sensor integration and control algorithms, to improve navigation capabilities.