Generic Vision-Based Technology Building Blocks
A GSTP Element 2 activity with Airbus, France, aimed to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of a set of generic building blocks that make up solutions for Vision-based Navigation (VBN) for the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems. The solution is applicable to the landing on unknown (totally or partially) terrain and the rendezvous with an object – two of the main challenges identified in the ESA exploration roadmap.
Known as Genevis, the activity’s main goal was to specify, develop, test, validate and integrate Vision-Based Navigation (VBN) processing solutions on a space-grade processor. The building blocks for the two navigation solutions were already developed, but until now had not been put together, tuned, validated and demonstrated in real-time, on a representative target and for given reference scenarios.
Over two phases the technology was developed further. The first phase demonstrated the functional performances of the two vision-based navigation solutions (rendezvous and landing) with a Model-in-the-Loop (MIL) configuration using an image generator tool called, Surrender. The second phase consisted of the fast prototyping of the two navigation solutions and demonstrating real-time performances. The resulting integrated technology implementation means that it is now possible to provide an innovative solution that drastically increases market competitiveness in the Moon and landing context and for rendezvous.
Next, the activity will demonstrate that the final landing phase is possible using only vision (without doppler/altimeter instruments) by observing the scale factor ambiguity using the known braking force.
G627-039EC closed in 2022.
