A Prototype Novel Sensor for Autonomous, Space Based Robots - Phase 2

The goal of this program was to develop new sensing capabilities for autonomous robots operating in space. Information gained by the robot using these new capabilities would be combined with other information gained through more traditional capabilities, such as video, to help the robot characterize its environment as well as to identify known or unknown objects that it encounters. Several sensing capabilities using nuclear radiation detectors and backscatter technology were investigated. The result of this research has been the construction and delivery to NASA of a prototype system with three capabilities for use by autonomous robots. The primary capability was the use of beta particle backscatter measurements to determine the average atomic number (Z) of an object. This gives the robot a powerful tool to differentiate objects which may look the same, such as objects made out of different plastics or other light weight materials. In addition, the same nuclear sensor used in the backscatter measurement can be used as a nuclear spectrometer to identify sources of nuclear radiation that may be encountered by the robot, such as nuclear powered satellites. A complete nuclear analysis system is included in the software and hardware of the prototype system built in phase 2 of this effort. Finally, a method to estimate the radiation dose in the environment of the robot has been included as a third capability. Again, the same nuclear sensor is used in a different operating mode and with different analysis software. Each of these capabilities are described.