Bay of Toil |
Bay of Toil |
Jan 23 2007, 05:06 PM
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#106
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Due to this driving pattern?
It looks something related to the front wheel steering mechanism which is no longer working. Or maybe Oppy is a bit drunk and already celebrating its 3rd anniversary. |
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Jan 23 2007, 05:06 PM
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#107
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Member Group: Members Posts: 311 Joined: 31-August 05 From: Florida & Texas, USA Member No.: 482 |
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Jan 23 2007, 05:38 PM
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#108
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4246 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
Perhaps they're heading into the open and safe plains to do some drive software testing?
Or perhaps they're taking an easier route to the Cape C1-2 area, bypassing Cape Desire? |
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Jan 23 2007, 05:45 PM
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#109
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
QUOTE If we once have a real-life UMSF BBQ you buy all beer I gladly would... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jan 23 2007, 05:57 PM
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#110
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
On another topic, in this navcam shot we can easily see the famous dark bands at the bays C5 and D2.
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Jan 23 2007, 06:11 PM
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#111
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14431 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
It'll be interesting to see if we get a jump in Whr's when we hit those dark streaks - my initial thought is faster winds clearing all but the fine dust leaving just dark basaltic sand + concretions behind.
Doug |
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Jan 23 2007, 07:40 PM
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#112
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2807 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
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Jan 23 2007, 08:10 PM
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#113
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2807 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
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Jan 24 2007, 03:54 AM
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#114
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4246 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
From Squyres's latest update, the explanation of the curious tracks:
QUOTE We're now working our way around the Bay of Toil to our next imaging spot at the tip of Cape Desire. Driving here has been difficult. ... we make extensive use of ... visodom. ... Problem is, there are very few features in the terrain here... the soil is so bland that there's almost nothing for the visodom software to "lock on" to. This has created problems for us, and we've had a couple of busted drives as a result.
Our rover drivers, however, are nothing if not creative. If Mars doesn't give us features to look at, they figured, we'll make our own features. So recently, we've done a drive where the rover did a strange little dance as it moved along, scuffing the soil and weaving from side to side, making some of the strangest-looking rover tracks you've ever seen. (One of the maneuvers they came up with they called the "drunken sailor walk".) It looks weird, but it works. We did 40 visodom tests on that drive, and 39 of them worked. So next time you see some strange-looking wheel tracks, it's just the rover scuffing up the terrain so it can figure out where it is. |
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Jan 24 2007, 06:32 AM
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#115
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2917 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
I'm amazed how creative these guys are. Looks evident now when you know it, but well.
Will be nice to see if somebody here could come up with another bright idea to help visodom. Come on guys, be creative! -------------------- |
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Jan 24 2007, 07:23 AM
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#116
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Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
That is a fantastic bit of creative problem solving, absolutely love it.
They should start "writing" out messages in morse using this drunken sailor track - they could start with: -- . .-. .-. ..- .-.. . ... |
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Jan 24 2007, 08:08 AM
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#117
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Member Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 29-December 05 From: Ottawa, ON Member No.: 624 |
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Jan 24 2007, 01:01 PM
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#118
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Member Group: Members Posts: 198 Joined: 2-March 05 From: Richmond, VA USA Member No.: 181 |
or maybe if Oppy is feeling a bit more poetical and ironically spry... .. / --. .-. --- .-- / --- .-.. -.. / .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- / .. / --. .-. --- .-- / --- .-.. -.. / .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- / .. / ... .... .- .-.. .-.. / .-- . .- .-. / - .... . / -... --- - - --- -- ... / --- ..-. / -- -.-- / - .-. --- ..- ... . .-. ... / .-. --- .-.. .-.. . -.. .-.-.- -- Pertinax |
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Jan 24 2007, 01:47 PM
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#119
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 57 Joined: 17-May 06 From: Houston, Texas Member No.: 776 |
I hope they take a look at Guam (the dock). Might be interesting.
-------------------- |
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Jan 24 2007, 04:46 PM
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#120
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Another "drunky" move on sol 1067: http://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportu...PAP1312L0M1.JPG
The dock/Guam can be seen on the rhaz pic too; we just left it behind. There is a single downlinked navcam right now but IMO the rover is facing Cape Desire. |
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