371: All Martian Things Considered
Doug Ellison, Engineering Camera Team Lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, discusses the operational challenges and technical details of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers' camera systems. He explains how extreme cold, radiation, and fine regolith dust affect hardware, the evolution from heritage 1-megapixel sensors to Perseverance's 20-megapixel cameras, and the reliance on Mars orbiters for data relay. Ellison also details the autonomous driving algorithms like visual odometry and AEGIS, the use of HoloLens for terrain visualization, and the logistical complexities of operating on Mars time.