Ph.D. Dissertation, “Planetary Micro-Rovers with Bayesian Autonomy”

The design, construction, and testing of a solar-powered, autonomous, space-qualified micro-rover (μRover) as a prototype planetary rover for conducting studies of the surface and subsurface of other planets such as Mars. The micro-rover uses commercial off-the-shelf components and open-source software to implement a reliable four-wheeled mobile platform with flexible payload space. Bayesian logic and filtering are used to plan and achieve mission goals and learn from success and failure in the field.