# Presentation: 142394

## Drill Automation for Mars Exploration (DAME)

**Deliverables**
- Low-power, dry Mars-prototype drill, bits modified for Arctic conditions
- Control software
- Dynamic shaft flexural model and dynamic failure models
- Hybrid diagnostic module
- Results of field testing (hardware and software validation)

**Purpose**: develop enabling information technologies for planetary subsurface exploration
**Approach:** iterative spiral implementation and field testing of drilling automation
**Participants:** ARC/Code IC, ARC/Code SS, Honeybee Robotics, Georgia Institute of Technology, SETI Institute, QSS, Mars Institute, RIACS
**Funding:** $1.4M total over FY04-06 (source:  CodeS/MIDP), $0.9M internal (FTE/WYE)
**POC:**  Dr. Brian Glass, ARC, (650) 279-4141,  brian.glass@nasa.gov

## FY04 – FY06 DAME milestones

- the first year, the project has designed and fabricated a Mars-prototype drill (6/04) and is conducting manual drilling operations in the field to characterize fault modes (7/04, drill at Arctic test site now)
- second year, a set of initial automation would be tested alongside the drill in an observe-only fashion (6/05)
- final season, in-the-loop automation tests in the field (7/06)

## Mechanical Design

- System Specifications
- 2 Axis Drill
- Dual motor auger drive
- Maximum continuous torque: 130 in-lbs min (TBD)
- Maximum drilling thrust: 600 lbf (TBD)
- Auger speed: 220 RPM max
- Z-axis stroke: 1.1 meters
- Linear Slide reacts all drilling moments.
- Clamp

## Mars Analog Site - Field Tests

- Haughton Crater is located at 75 degrees North, 90 degrees West on Devon Island in the Nunavut Territory of Canada
-  Co-Investigator Pascal Lee has established a base camp facility there from which a variety of private, international and Government field explorations have been carried out for the last five summer seasons
- Access to the base camp is provided by Government-chartered Twin Otters flying out of the airport at Resolute (YRB) on Cornwallis Island 100 miles to the west.
- All supplies are flown in and all waste must be flown out.
- Access to Resolute is via commercial jet from Ottawa.
- Travel costs to Resolute are about $2K roundtrip per person.
- Researchers live under canvas with individual tents for sleeping and communal tents for eating and for office/laboratory activities
- ATVs available for local transport
- 24-hour daylight, temperatures ~35-40F

## Automation Objectives

- The diagnosis of a particular drill observation may depend on the consideration of geological formations previously encountered during drilling
- different remedial actions may be required for each diagnosis
- Objectives:
- To demonstrate diagnostic technology on the drill that runs in real-time under the computational restrictions expected on a mission
- To perform diagnosis in a dynamic setting where the system being diagnosed changes over time.
- To demonstrate an on-board executive that can control the drill in real-time
- interacting with the diagnosis system to identify the conditions present in the hole
- provide control actions that are responsive to those conditions.
- To determine remedial action that can be taken to ensure that the drill remains functional

## Relevance to NASA’s exploration vision

- Primary Science goals (subsurface exploration is most likely place to find past/present life on Mars and icy moons, as well as fresh lunar material )
- Resource Identification and Characterization (in-situ resources on the Moon and Mars)
- Autonomy and operations (drilling is difficult: testbed for lightspeed-delayed mission operations)

## Staffing

- Civil service: Glass (0.25), Cannon (0.2)
- RIACS: Dearden (0.1)
- QSS: Levinson (0.25), Jasper (0.2), Blaauw (0.05)
- Mars Institute: Lee (0.07)
- Georgia Tech: Hanagud (0.15) + 2 grad students
- Honeybee (1.2 in FY04, 0.35 in FY05/06)
- Student interns: Branson, Domville

## Financial Summary

**Funding:** $1.4M total over FY04-06, $0.8M internal (FTE/WYE)
- Source:  Code S/Mars Instrument Development Program
- Honeybee: $260K over 3 years (drill and maintenance)
- Georgia Tech:  $290K over 3 years
- Field campaigns: $50K/yr