Episode 127: Robots exploring other planets - Frances Zhu
Frances Zhu, an Assistant Professor at the Colorado School of Mines leading the ROSE Lab, discusses intelligent robotic systems for space exploration, focusing on planetary rovers and the shift toward autonomy. She explains how AI and computer vision are being integrated into autonomy stacks to handle communication delays and terrain uncertainty, moving beyond traditional teleoperation. Zhu also addresses the critical challenge of 'trust' in AI-driven systems, emphasizing the need for transparency and explainability in high-stakes aerospace environments. The conversation covers testing on Earth analogs, the role of commercial entities like SpaceX and Astrobotic, and the competitive landscape of global space robotics.