Since the Mars rover Perseverance sent the first image to Earth on 19 February 2021, an enormous amount of (image) data has been generated. Researchers need to collate, interpret and visualise this data into a big picture. However, how to create true-to-life 3D visualisations from the multitude of data and what information can be obtained from them is highly complex. Gerhard Paar from DIGITAL, the Institute for Digital Technologies at JOANNEUM RESEARCH, recently published a comprehensive state-of-the-art report on mission-spanning three-dimensional data processing together with a 19-member international research team.
Austrian research
On the Austrian side, JOANNEUM RESEARCH and the VRVis Centre for Virtual Reality and Visualisation, whose researchers developed the visualisation tool PRo3D, as well as the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) are involved in the Mars 2020 mission. "For the first time, we have investigated and summarised the interaction of the various 3D tools used during the mission and their synergies," explains lead author Gerhard Paar. A stereo imaging camera attached to the Mars rover - the Mastcam-Z - and other cameras that provide the data serve as the basis for generating three-dimensional images. VRVis researcher Christoph Traxler explains the state of the art: "PRo3D provides the measurement and visualisation tools required for geological interpretation and is used for the production of images in publications and high-resolution videos, which are also essential for low-threshold science communication. Our tools are involved in studies of the surface properties of the Martian soil as well as geological analyses at distances of up to around 100 metres." The interactive 3D reconstruction enables planetary scientists to carry out realistic exploration and analyses that come close to those in the field. According to Christian Koeberl (University of Vienna/ÖAW), this will make a significant contribution to understanding the climate of Mars over the last three billion years, the history and regression of water on Mars and the explanation of geological processes.
Visualisation tools create the big picture
In total, there are around 10 image processing tools in use in this gigantic transnational project, which enable 3D modelling and 3D visualisation, some of which are publicly available. This makes it possible to reconstruct the surface of Mars from the images and create 3D data products with a wide range of information about the Martian surface. Examples include elevation or distance maps that record the 3D coordinates of each point. In combination with data from other sensors or sources - including 3D models from satellites - and at different scales, the interpretation and localisation of the processed products is further improved. The three-dimensional data products will then be used for navigation of the rover, for accurate visualisation of the Martian surface and for precise spatial measurements - in some cases more accurately than is possible on Earth using GPS. The 3D vision processing and visualisation is an essential mission-wide tool for solving important questions in planetary research such as the prevailing wind direction in different epochs, the soil composition or the geological origin.
Mars-2020-Mission
- click here for the publication "Three-Dimensional Data Preparation and Immersive Mission-Spanning Visualization and Analysis of Mars 2020 Mastcam-Z Stereo Image Sequences", G. Paar et al., 2023.
- Videos of the Mars (Pro3D Space)
- Latest news from NASA on the Mars 2020 mission
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