Since 2021, the Mars rover Perseverance has been travelling on Mars, providing high-resolution images of the surface of the red planet. Gerhard Paar and his team from JOANNEUM RESEARCH DIGITAL developed 3D vision processing mechanisms for the Mastcam-Z camera of this mission. The researchers are still involved in the processing and analysis of the 3D images with contributions by VRVis (visualization) and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Mars Science).
Today's presentation at the FIFTEEN SECONDS FESTIVAL covered the history of participation in the Mars 2020 mission, the rover instruments, interesting details of the landing and rover technology, and daily communication. Gerhard Paar also explained image analysis and visualisation technologies in a scientific context, thus addressing the interplay of "Science & Technology". Many examples were used to outline the contribution of the Austrian team to the mission and to discuss what challenges still await the Austrian team and the mission as a whole in the coming months and years.