[1] The planned 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission and follow-on surface activities associated with landed missions will focus on long distance roving and sample return, which require detailed knowledge of vehicle locations in both local and global reference systems. In this paper we argue that this rover localization should be known to within 0.1 of the distance traversed for local coordinate systems. To test the ability to meet this goal using only descent and rover-based data, we conducted experiments with simulated descent images and Field Integrated Design and Operations Rover data collected during field tests at Silver Lake, California, in April 1999. Specifically, an integrated bundle adjustment system incorporating both descent and rover-based images was developed and used to localize the rover positions. On the basis of surveyed ground control points it is demonstrated that the joint analysis produces RMS errors of 0.24, 0.15, and 0.38 m in x, y, and z% directions in a local coordinate system, respectively, for ground points within 500 m from the landing point and 0.23, 0.21, and 0.46 m within a distance of 1.5 km. Results show that it is possible to meet the 0.1 goal using descent and rover-based data only.

In view of the problem of light efficiency utilization in low altitude illumination in tunnels, it is proposed in this paper to improve the lighting benefits by optimizing the light configuration. Combinational analysis of such parameters as light height, elevation angle and spacing in low altitude illumination is performed in this research by Dialux optical simulation software. The average road surface luminance, overall uniformity of road surface luminance and longitudinal uniformity of road surface luminance are taken as key evaluation indicators. The study shows that the optimal height, elevation angle and spacing of low altitude illumination are 3 meters, 40° and 1 meter respectively. The overall uniformity of road surface luminance of low altitude illumination can reach 0.97, the longitudinal uniformity of road surface luminance can reach up to 1.0. The luminous flux per meter is equal in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. The average road surface luminance is affected by the light arrangement spacing to a very small extent, and the longitudinal uniformity of road surface luminance is affected by the height and elevation angle of the light very slightly.