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#1 2008-01-31 23:55:24
- Ron Carlson
- Banned
- From: Near JSC
- Registered: 2007-12-08
- Posts: 39
Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
Hyper-capable Rover Has Appetite For Large Boulders
Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
On June 19, 2007, media visited JPL’s newly expanded outdoor Mars Yard where rovers train for future planetary missions. Visitors were treated to a test drive of the “Scarecrow” rover. Scarecrow might still be missing its computer “brains,” but it certainly showed off its monster appetite for large boulders, making easy work of traversing them. In early 2008, assembly of this hefty, hyper-capable rover will begin.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The "Scarecrow Rover" is impressive indeed.
Large long-range rovers are definitely needed in the future for exploring Mars.
Even larger rovers could be used for transporting groups of people or supplies across the Martian surface.
Ron Carlson
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#2 2008-02-01 03:41:41
- cIclops
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Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
[color=darkred]Let's go to Mars and far beyond - triple NASA's budget ![/color] [url=irc://freenode#space] #space channel !! [/url] [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/c1cl0ps] - videos !!![/url]
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#3 2008-02-03 04:43:32
- Ron Carlson
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- Registered: 2007-12-08
- Posts: 39
Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
8)
Here are some images of the opening of JPL's new MarsYard.
Enjoy!
New MarsYard Unveiled
http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/news/n … ?NewsID=70
NEWS
New MarsYard Unveiled
06/26/2007
Ribbon cutting:
Samad Hayati, Manager of Mars Technology Program, (left),
Gene Tattini, JPL Deputy Director (center),
Firouz Naderi, JPL Associate Director (right).
A new MarsYard to test the mobility and autonomy of future Mars rovers was unveiled at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on June 19, 2007. This new facility is approximately 21,000 square feet, six times larger than the previous MarsYard, and includes a new building that will be used to house rover operations.
This facility will be used by Robotics personnel funded by the Mars Technology Program to test new capabilities developed under the program. The facility will also be used by Robotics personnel working on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project, to test and validate flight rover capabilities.
MSL's prototype rover, called Scarecrow, was unveiled in this ribbon-cutting ceremony. Measuring over 2 meters in length and width, it is capable of carrying large science payloads and traversing over much rougher terrain than the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER).
Two new research rovers, Athena and Pluto, were also shown in operation during the event. They were joined by a third research rover and older sibling, FIDO. All are smaller than Scarecrow and similar in size to MER.
More Images:
JPL's new MarsYard Enlarge +
Scarecrow demonstrates its mobility capabilities Enlarge +
Ron Carlson
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#4 2008-02-03 06:19:18
- Ron Carlson
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- Registered: 2007-12-08
- Posts: 39
Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
Here are images of the Athena, Pluto and FIDO rovers.
The Athena Rover before upgrades, in the JPL Marsyard.
The Pluto Rover
The FIDO rover
Ron Carlson
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#5 2008-02-03 09:45:02
- SpaceNut
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Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
I am going to look at this in a different way. The MarsYard is an analog site for rover design but going one step further this could be a theme park for tourist to view what a rover does when it gets to its destination.
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#6 2025-08-13 07:47:23
- tahanson43206
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Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
This little topic has been idle since 2008. It might be worth a follow up to see what happened to the Rover for which the the topic was named.
My reason for looking for topics with "scarecrow" in the title is that our returning member is thinking of using that word as an ID.
(th)
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#7 2025-08-13 15:06:48
- SpaceNut
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- Registered: 2004-07-22
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Re: Shutterbugs Shoot 'Scarecrow'
Reading the topic did remind me.
AI Overview
Mock Mars Rover Takes Desert Test Drive | Space
The "Scarecrow" rover is a testbed for NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. It's a full-scale replica of Curiosity, but stripped down and without an onboard computer, allowing engineers to test its mobility and suspension performance in a Mars-like environment without the risk to the actual rover. It's designed to weigh the same on Earth as Curiosity weighs on Mars, accounting for the difference in gravity.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Purpose:
Scarecrow is used to evaluate the rover's mobility and suspension system. This includes testing its ability to climb slopes, traverse different types of terrain, and handle various driving conditions.
Design:
It's a full-scale replica of the Curiosity rover, but without the complex computer brain. This makes it lighter and allows engineers to focus solely on the mechanical aspects of mobility.
Weight:
Scarecrow is designed to weigh the same on Earth as Curiosity weighs on Mars. This is crucial for accurately simulating how Curiosity will behave in the Martian environment.
Testing Location:
Scarecrow is tested in the Mars Yard at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a simulated Martian landscape that includes rocks, slopes, and other obstacles.
Benefits:
By testing with Scarecrow, engineers can identify potential problems and refine the rover's driving capabilities before sending it to Mars, minimizing risks to the actual Curiosity rover.
Example:
In one instance, Scarecrow was used to test a new traction control algorithm designed to reduce wheel wear on the Mars Curiosity rove
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