The Mars Helicopter Is Online and Getting Ready to Fly

Post by Robotbeat » Sun, Feb 28, 2021, 6:11 PM UTC

marcinzm wrote: post #37

birktj wrote: post #23

One of the things I find really cool about Ingenuity is how it is in large based on consumer hardware. The main processor is a Snapdragon 801 running Linux which communicates with Perseverance using the Zigbee protocol [1]. Perseverance on the other hand uses a RAD750 from 2001! If successful I hope this can lead to more modern hardware for these kinds of missions in general. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenui…

As the name RAD750 indicates, that processor is designed to be radiation hardened which matters for longer missions. I doubt the Snapdragon 801 will survive as long or have as few errors but it also doesn't matter since Ingenuity isn't aimed for long term usage.

Post by Robotbeat » Sun, Feb 28, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

marcinzm wrote: post #41

mushufasa wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the fascinating things about space silicon is that NASA spends many years hardening specific processors to withstand the types of shocks and electromagnetic interference from space travel. These intensive processes mean that the equipment they can use is always 10-20 years behind the modern equivalents.

Aren't smaller transistor sizes also more susceptible to radiation issues which means you can't really use newer processors without ever more effort in radiation hardening?

Post by Robotbeat » Sun, Feb 28, 2021, 6:16 PM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #6

Wikipedia page about the Ingenuity helicopter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter) I didn't realise it was so large (1.8 kg, 1.2 m diameter rotors). I suppose it has to have the large rotors to be able to generate lift in the thin atmosphere, 1/160th of the density [edit: pressure, not density - thanks Robotbeat] of the earth's atmosphere at sea level according to the article.

Post by disago » Sun, Feb 28, 2021, 6:19 PM UTC

l2p wrote: post #35

disago wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sadly, this helicopter won't record any footage, it is only meant to test flight control and to proof that the idea will work for future missions. There is a interesting Veritasium episode (youtube) that talks about this (interviewing the actual designer from the JPL). The only footage will be from Perseverance filming the flight.

This is not correct, there are multiple downward facing cameras [a]: 1) Navigation (NAV) Camera. This is a global-shutter, nadir pointed grayscale 640 by 480 pixel sensor (Omnivision OV7251) mounted to a Sunny optics module. It has a field-of-view (FOV) of 133 deg (horizontal) by 100 deg (vertical) with an average Instantaneous Field-of-view (IFOV) of 3.6 mRad/pixel, and is capable of acquiring images at 10 frames/se…

Post by neatze » Sun, Feb 28, 2021, 6:21 PM UTC