Future planetary exploration missions are set to prioritize efficient human-robot interaction to ensure astronaut safety and optimize scientific outcomes. In this pursuit, digital twins emerge as a promising tool for planning and optimizing extravehicular activities. A recent study highlights the development of a digital twin for the AMADEE-24 analog Mars mission, conducted in Armenia in March 2024 by the Austrian Space Forum. This digital twin evaluates alternative local positioning methods to enhance utility in environments where Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are unavailable.
The digital twin integrates telemetry from space suit simulators, motion capture data, and sensor inputs from a rover. All experimental runs were successfully reconstructed, with findings indicating that certain localization methods, such as SLAM-based rover positioning and IMU-MoCap for astronauts, performed on par with GPS. However, the IMU-MoCap method faced limitations due to the need for intermittent GPS recalibration. Despite this, the study underscores the potential of these alternative techniques for digital twin applications in space exploration.
