Strange Mi Images |
Strange Mi Images |
Nov 26 2005, 09:39 AM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 578 Joined: 5-November 04 From: Denmark Member No.: 107 |
All the latest MI images from Opportunity shows this part of the rover:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...KCP2957M1M1.JPG The only thing I can think of is that it is an image taken with the IDD stowed. Actually the front hazcam pictures confirms this. What can the reason for this be? A problem with the IDD so it didn't unstow, but somehow the MI carried out its tasks? -------------------- "I want to make as many people as possible feel like they are part of this adventure. We are going to give everybody a sense of what exploring the surface of another world is really like"
- Steven Squyres |
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Dec 5 2005, 10:17 PM
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#2
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 90 Joined: 13-January 05 Member No.: 143 |
I haven't heard anything since Friday, but here's an update based on some inside information.
1. Opportunity's IDD is in a halfway-unstowed configuration. The arm unstows in four moves. The first move (apparently completed) raises the elbow toward the roof above it, in order to release a hook. The second move (not completed) is a joint 1 (azimuth) move that results in the elbow end moving forward, while the turret disengages its stow feature. The third and fourth moves get the arm in a neutral pose in front of the rover. 2. The arm itself doesn't appear to be mechanically hung up at either the elbow or the turret. The problem is in the motor of joint 1, which turns slightly, but stalls before even one motor revolution is completed. (The motor is a DC brush motor with magnetic detents. It fails to get out of the first detent.) 3. The team is experimenting daily on the arm, starting with parameter changes like "stall persistence" (how quickly the circuitry shuts down the motor). They have not yet upped the current to the motor, but that should come soon. So far, the symptoms do not have an easy explanation. In the worst case, if joint 1 can't be budged, the arm can be restowed because that action does not involve joint 1. In the meantime, I don't think the arm is in a configuration which is "officially" safe to drive. I also don't think they can easily experiment on joint 1 when the arm is stowed. So you may as well get used to this spot for a little while longer. |
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Dec 5 2005, 10:23 PM
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#3
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Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
Nice update mars_armer. Mixed news but it's nice to see that the team are being thorough.
Patience is in order folks. I quite like the view to be honest, she could have been stuck in far less interesting spots. |
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