Robot Sensor Suite
Stereo Cameras + LIDAR + IMU Sensor Suite per Robot
The robot sensor suite is a 3 kg, four-instrument payload comprising stereo CMOS cameras, a mini-LIDAR, a MEMS inertial measurement unit, and a sun sensor designed for autonomous surface navigation. Consuming 15 W, the standardised package provides visual simultaneous localisation and mapping, 3D terrain mapping, inertial tracking, and absolute heading determination. Operating in the harsh lunar radiation environment requires radiation-tolerant electronics across all four sensor subsystems to prevent semiconductor degradation, enabling an operational lifetime of 15 years and a mean time between failures of 30,000 hours.
Standardised sensor suite per robot: stereo cameras, mini-LIDAR, IMU, sun sensor for autonomous navigation.
Purpose
Standardised sensor suite per robot: stereo cameras, mini-LIDAR, IMU, sun sensor for autonomous navigation.
Context
Child of L2-ROB-NAV within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Stereo cameras for visual SLAM
- ▸Mini-LIDAR for 3D mapping
- ▸MEMS IMU for inertial data
- ▸Sun sensor for absolute heading
- ▸Rad-tolerant sensor electronics
Typical implementations
- ▸NASA rover sensor heritage
- ▸Industrial mobile robot sensor packages
- ▸Visual SLAM lunar (arXiv 2603.17229)
Lunar considerations
- ▸Long-life sensor stack
- ▸Per-robot standardisation
- ▸Rad-tolerant electronics
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Standardised sensor suite per robot: stereo cameras, mini-LIDAR, IMU, sun sensor for autonomous navigation. |
| sensor types | 4 |
Physical
| mass kg | 3 |
| materials | Stereo CMOS cameras, Mini-LIDAR, MEMS IMU, Sun sensor |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 15 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 15 |
| mtbf hours | 30000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Sensor fusion inputs
Requires
- Sensors (~15 W)
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Robot Sensor Suite" (L3-ROB-NAV-SENSE). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-ROB-NAV-SENSE
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.