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Meet the Drivers Behind NASA's Mars Rovers
StonyandCher writes "Scott Maxwell must have one of the best IT jobs in the solar system, driving NASA's Mars Rovers. Behind every robot is a driver. He's one of 14 Rover Drivers that work in NASA's California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Maxwell discusses what makes up an average work day, the highlights of the project, how he got the job, and the tools he uses in his work. A great look at the team of dedicated IT workers behind the robots, plotting the every move of NASA's twin robot geologists, Spirit and Opportunity, since they first landed on Mars at the start of 2004."
Are there any female drivers and if there are, do they do their makeup in the rear view mirror while driving? (ducking and running for cover)
Brawndo: It's what plants crave!
That sort of driver.
ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
Martian robots drive YOU!
Normal safe driving recommends the "2 second rule". These guys have to allow, what, 20 minutes?
Oh, and the first hints of that [water-linked] silica-rich material were turned up by the trenches we dug as we dragged our broken wheel around. Without that hardware failure, Spirit wouldn't have realised one of its greatest successes!
Are they gonna patent their Trench-A-Matic?
Table-ized A.I.
Java, Python, Perl and Shell scripts are used to program this thing? I just can't understand a development team shunning XP Pro and .NET. The shelf life was suppose to be 1 year - isn't that about right for a .Net application before permanent and complete failure??
Dear Motorist:
You have received this traffic citation, on this sol of 13 Smoogna, 1126, issued by the city of Oxia Palus in the county of Planitia, Mars, for the following indicated violations.
__ Following too closely to a boulder.
__ Failure to light headlamps within 5 sols of sundown.
__ Parallel parking on inside slope of crater.
__ Driving in planet-wide reduced visibility conditions without running lights.
__ Failure to signal turn to JPL.
You will find information on the back of this form concerning fees and places to pay your fine. Thank you, and remember: "Unsafe driving will make your fellow Martian motorists see red."
Forward 4000 Wait 2400 Left 80 Wait 2400 Shit...where's my turtle? Guys?...
Maybe your drivers are ok, but until specs are released, I'm not buying any NASA Mars rovers. The Taiwanese rovers are good enough, and Theo's team have come up with drivers for them, that we can trust.
"Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
I shouldn't have tried to outdo him by bragging to the hostess that I was the only real "rocket scientist" present. (I build target missiles that get shot down by the MDA.)
A short while later, John used his cellphone to impress a young lady who wandered over to chat him up. He opened up his Razr and showed her how he gets 12-hour updates from each of the rovers via SMS, complete with maps.
The dude gets texted from Mars four times a day.
I had to concede.
I can see the fnords!
As you can see, he is the most prolific of all slashdot users.