KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES

       

Space Science Opportunities Augmented by Exploration Telepresence

October 3 - 7, 2016
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Workshop Overview:

The aim of this workshop will be a critical review of a potentially new space exploration strategic approach: field scientific research on planetary surfaces conducted by astronaut/scientists using robotic surrogates when the distance from the scientists to the robots is so short as to provide the illusion of being part of the surface environment without requiring humans to be physically at the site.    This new paradigm represents a synergistic partnership between humans and robots and will pave the way for eventually putting humans physically on planetary surfaces. We refer to this new approach as "exploration telepresence" (ET).

Current planning at NASA and recent independent studies have noted the potential benefits of ET. However, these reports were primarily developed from individual scientists, engineers, and teleroboticists. To formally address the benefits and/or drawbacks of ET, a multidisciplinary review is essential. For this workshop, world-class representatives of telerobotics, planetary science, and human space flight will gather to evaluate the pros and cons of ET, with a goal to identify research tasks that ET might augment and what obstacles must be overcome for the vision of ET science (e.g., geology and astrobiology) to become a reality. Once a number of high-value, realistic scientific goals are identified, we aim to conceptually design experiments – involving collaborations among engineers, astronauts, and scientists – to evaluate the extent to which ET might help achieve these goals.  Overall, we are interested in understanding how rapid progress in telerobotic technology might change the face of space exploration on the timescale foreseen for sending humans to Mars.


Monday, Ocober 3, 2016

Beckman Institute Auditorium, Caltech

Space Science Opportunities Augmented by Exploration Telepresence

Short Course

Introductory Lectures - Open to all interested students, researchers and faculty

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Coffee and Refreshments

8:30 - 8:40

Logistics / Introduction

Michele Judd
Team Lead

8:40 - 9:30

Principles of Geologic Fieldwork on Planets (40 min talk, 10 min Q&A)

Kip Hodges

9:30 - 10:20

Executing Geologic Science with Long Latency Robotic Assets (40 min talk, 10 min Q&A)

R. Aileen Yingst

10:20 - 10:50

Break

10:50 - 11:40

Human/Robotics Collaborations and Interactions (40 min talk, 10 min Q&A)

Terry Fong

11:40 - 12:30

Lessons Learned via Telepresence Usage on Earth (40 min talk, 10 min Q&A)

Dan Lester

12:30 - 1:30

Short Course Ends: Informal Lunch is provided at Beckman Institute Auditorium Entrance

Invitation-Only Workshop Begins

Think Tank, Room 155 - Keck Center, Caltech

1:30 - 1:45

Walk to Keck Center, pick up badge and welcome packet, find seat in the Think Tank

1:45-2:30

Workshop Logistics and Introduction to KISS

Michele Judd
Tom Prince

2:30 - 3:00

Participant Introductions

Michele Judd

3:00 - 3:30

Study vision and goals for this workshop

Team Leads

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 5:00

Finalize study vision and workshop goals via plenary discussion

Team Leads

5:00 - 5:30

Solicitation of Lightning Talks

Team Leads

5:30 - 6:00

Pack up and walk to the Athenaeum

All

6:00

Dinner at the Athenaeum


Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Institute open for free think time, Tolman/Bacher House rooms available

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and informal breakfast pastries / free think time continued

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics and Team Lead Update

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 9:45

Humanoid Robotic Capabilities on Earth and the International Space Station (20 mins plus 10 mins Q&A)

Julia Badger

9:45 - 10:15

Lightning Talks (3)

TBD by participants

10:15 - 10:45

Break

10:45 - 12:15

Determine breakout teams and begin breakout sessions

All

12:15 - 12:30

Group picture, walk to the Athenaeum

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 2:45

Report outs from breakout groups (15 mins each)

Groups

2:45 - 3:30

Lightning Talks (3)

TBD by participants

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 7:00

POSTER SESSION and Informal food truck dinner at the Keck Center (dinner starts at 6:00 pm)


Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Institute open for free think time, Tolman/Bacher House rooms available

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and informal breakfast pastries / free think time continued

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics and Team Lead Update

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 9:45

Special Topic Talk (20 mins plus 10 mins Q&A)

TBD

9:45 - 10:30

Lightning talks (3 - each 10 mins plus 5 mins Q&A)

TBD by participants

10:30 - 11:00

Break

11:00 - 12:30

Breakout Groups Meet

All

12:30 - 2:00

Lunch at the Athenaeum

2:00 - 3:00

Breakouts (continued)

All

3:00 - 3:45

Return to Plenary Session, Breakout Groups Report Out

All

3:45 - 4:30

Lightning talks (3 - each 10 mins plus 5 mins Q&A)

Groups

4:30 - 5:00

Break and Walk to Beckman Institute Auditorium

OPEN LECTURE

Beckman Institute Auditorium

5:00 - 6:00

Open Lecture: Operational Thoughts on Data Driven Decision Making

Nick Hague

6:15

Dinner at the Athenaeum


Thursday, October 6, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Institute open for free think time, Tolman/Bacher House rooms available

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and informal breakfast pastries / free think time continued

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics and Team Lead Update

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 10:15

Final Lightning Talks (4 - each 10 mins plus 5 mins Q&A)

Groups

10:15 - NOON

Breakout Groups Meet (teams are encouraged to include a short break on a team by team basis)

All

NOON - 2:00

Lunch on your own / free think time

2:00 - 2:45

Return to Plenary Session, Breakout Groups Report Out

All

2:45 - 3:30

Plenary Discussion about next steps, outcomes and recommendations for the next 1-10 years

All

3:30 - 4:00

Break

4:00 - 4:45

Plenary Discussion (continues)

Groups

4:45 - 5:45

Breakout Groups Meet: Advocacy Session

All

5:45

Pack up and walk to Athenaeum

All

6:00

Dinner at the Athenaeum (with spouses / significant others / special guests)


Friday, October 7, 2016

Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker

8:00 - 8:30

Institute open for free think time, Tolman/Bacher House rooms available

8:30 - 9:00

Coffee and informal breakfast pastries / free think time continued

9:00 - 9:15

Logistics and Team Lead Update

Michele Judd
Team Leads

9:15 - 9:45

Report Out from Breakout Groups

All

9:45 - 12:30

Writing Breakout Groups

All

12:30 - 1:30

Informal Lunch at the Institute

1:30 - 2:00

Plenary Session - Report Out Open Topics from Writing Sessions

All

2:00 - 3:00

Plenary Session Discussion - Future Funding Opportunities, Follow-Up Studies, Other Workshops and Proposals

All

3:00 - 3:30

Break

3:30 - 4:30

Post Workshop Activities and Assignments - Group Discussion

Groups

4:30 - 5:00

Workshop Closeout

Michele Judd

5:00

Workshop Concludes


Workshop Participants:

  • Daniel Adamo - Independent Astrodynamics Consulting
  • Robert Anderson - JPL
  • Jordi Artigas - DLR
  • Paul Backes - JPL
  • Julia Badger - NASA-JSC
  • Jim Bell - Arizona State University
  • Dallas Bienhoff - Boeing
  • Jacob Bleacher - NASA-GSFC
  • Joel Burdick - Caltech
  • Matt Burkhardt - Caltech
  • Benton  Clark - Lockheed Martin
  • Terry Fong - NASA-ARC
  • Lou Friedman - The Planetary Society
  • Tyler Nick Hague - NASA-JSC
  • Tamas Haidegger - Obuda University
  • Kip Hodges - Arizona State University
  • Jose Hurtado - Univ. of Texas at El Paso
  • Thomas Jones -  IHMC
  • Joseph Lazio - JPL
  • Daniel Lester - Exinetics
  • Mark Lupisella - NASA-GSFC
  • Cameron Mercer - Arizona State University
  • Jeff Norris - JPL
  • Daniel Pastor - Caltech
  • Gregg Podnar - Boeing
  • Julie Townsend - JPL
  • R Aileen Yingst - Planetary Science Institute
  • Kelsey Young - UMD/NASA GSFC

Short Course Presentations

Kip Hodges
Arizona State University
Principles of Geologic Fieldwork on Planets
(14.9 MB .pdf)
(video)

R. Aileen Yingst
Planetary Science Institute

Executing Geologic Science with Long Latency Robotic Assets
(11.8 MB .pdf)
(video)

Terry Fong
NASA Ames Research Center

Human/Robotics Collaborations and Interactions
(9.9 MB .pdf)
(video)
Daniel Lester
Exinetics
Lessons Learned via Telepresence Usage on Earth
(4 MB .pdf)
(video)

Workshop Presentations

Julia Badger
NASA-JSC
Towards Autonomous Operations of the Robonaut 2 Humanoid Robotic Testbed
(3.8 MB .pdf)

Poster Session Presentations

Tom Jones
IHMC
An Asteroid Companion
(726 KB .pdf)