Terrain-Aware Autonomy for Self-Reconfigurable Rovers Informed by Zhurong In Situ Datasets from Utopia Planitia

Liang Ding; Huanan Qi; Tianyi Yu; Ximing He; Haibo Gao; Miao Zheng; Xinyu Li; Chuankai Liu; Baofeng Yuan; Xinyan Guo; Wenhao Feng; Lisijin Tang; Xiaohui Liu; Zuoyu Zhang; Ruyi Zhou; Huaiguang Yang; Jing Sun; Houman Yu; Sen Liu; Yafang Liu; Yuncheng Lin; Shaojin Han; Qian Xu; Lichun Li; Hao Lu; Ping Jiang; Pierangelo Masarati; Zdravko Terze; Zongquan Deng

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2026.08.031

Engineering ›› :202608031 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.08.031

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Terrain-Aware Autonomy for Self-Reconfigurable Rovers Informed by Zhurong In Situ Datasets from Utopia Planitia

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Abstract

Terrain-aware autonomy is critical for rovers to safely traverse heterogeneous surfaces. Multimode mobility across loose sand and sharp relief remains challenging because mode switching, which induces mechanical reconfiguration, is constrained by reduced contact stability. This study developed a terrain-aware autonomy control framework incorporating multimode mobility, informed by in situ datasets from China’s Zhurong Mars rover in Utopia Planitia, and subsequently validated it using an Earth-based

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Liang Ding, Huanan Qi, Tianyi Yu, Ximing He, Haibo Gao, Miao Zheng, Xinyu Li, Chuankai Liu, Baofeng Yuan, Xinyan Guo, Wenhao Feng, Lisijin Tang, Xiaohui Liu, Zuoyu Zhang, Ruyi Zhou, Huaiguang Yang, Jing Sun, Houman Yu, Sen Liu, Yafang Liu, Yuncheng Lin, Shaojin Han, Qian Xu, Lichun Li, Hao Lu, Ping Jiang, Pierangelo Masarati, Zdravko Terze, Zongquan Deng. Terrain-Aware Autonomy for Self-Reconfigurable Rovers Informed by Zhurong In Situ Datasets from Utopia Planitia. Engineering 202608031 DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2026.08.031

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