Heather L. Jones

Expertise: Robotic Exploration of Planetary Pits and Caves
Affiliation: Carnegie Mellon University
Certification/Education:
B.S. Engineering, Swarthmore College 2006
B.A. Computer Science, Swarthmore College, 2006
M.S. Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012
Research Link(s): http://www.ri.cmu.edu/person.html?type=publications&person_id=2269

FINESSE Research Objectives

Use images taken at planetary pit analog sites to gain a better understanding of view parameters that affect the fidelity of models constructed from images; use this knowledge to plan views more effectively.

Investigate the effectiveness of a low-mass, low-power robot for traversing terrain in lava tube caves.

Biography

Heather’s research involves developing robotic rover and lander systems for the Moon and other planetary bodies. Her work has included planning for planetary robot operations, robotic exploration of planetary caves, localization for planetary rovers, the concept of operations development for lunar night survival, thermal analysis for rover and lander systems on the lunar surface, lander and rover system definition, and development and operation of a lunar lander testbed. Her current research develops view trajectory planning for surface rovers to build models of planetary pits.

After graduating from Swarthmore College, Heather worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center, analyzing operations of the Canadian robotic arm on the International Space Station. While in Houston, she served as president of the Texas Space Center section of the Society of Women Engineers. She then joined Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute as a Ph.D. Student. In 2012, Heather was awarded the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (NSTRF). As part of the NSTRF program, she has spent time at NASA Ames Research Center as a visiting scholar.