The Robocoaster as Simulation Platform - Experiences from the First Authentic Mars Flight Simulation

Abstract

Experiences from the “first authentic Mars flight motion simulation” are revealed as presented at the AUTOMATICA exhibition in June 2004: A large 6-degree of freedom KUKA “Robocoaster” robot is equipped with one passenger seat and a spherical screen. On the screen, a video of a virtual flight from Earth to Mars, along an interesting area on Mars, and back to Earth is shown. The video is based on images of the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) from DLR taken during the ESA Mars Express mission. In this article the most important parts of this prototype of an exciting entertainment system are discussed, like the generation of synchronized video, sound and robot movement such that the “felt” acceleration is in correspondence with the video.

Reference

Johann Heindl, Martin Otter, Heiko Hirschmüller, Mirko Frommberger, Norbert Sporer, Florian Siegert, Harald Heinrich (2005), The Robocoaster as Simulation Platform - Experiences from the First Authentic Mars Flight Simulation, in Proceedings of the Motion Simulator Conference, 21 September 2005, Braunschweig, Germany.