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Glass B, Bergman D, Parro V, Kobayashi L, Stoker C, Quinn R, Davila A, Willis P, Brinckerhoff W, Warren-Rhodes K, Wilhelm M, Caceres L, DiRuggiero J, Zacny K, Moreno-Paz M, Dave A, Seitz S, Grubisic A, Castillo M, Bonaccorsi R. The Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) Project. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1245-1258. [PMID: 38054949 PMCID: PMC10750311 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
With advances in commercial space launch capabilities and reduced costs to orbit, humans may arrive on Mars within a decade. Both to preserve any signs of past (and extant) martian life and to protect the health of human crews (and Earth's biosphere), it will be necessary to assess the risk of cross-contamination on the surface, in blown dust, and into the near-subsurface (where exploration and resource-harvesting can be reasonably anticipated). Thus, evaluating for the presence of life and biosignatures may become a critical-path Mars exploration precursor in the not-so-far future, circa 2030. This Special Collection of papers from the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) project describes many of the scientific, technological, and operational issues associated with searching for and identifying biosignatures in an extreme hyperarid region in Chile's Atacama Desert, a well-studied terrestrial Mars analog environment. This paper provides an overview of the ARADS project and discusses in context the five other papers in the ARADS Special Collection, as well as prior ARADS project results.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Glass
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - D. Bergman
- Honeybee Robotics, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - V. Parro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain
| | - L. Kobayashi
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - C. Stoker
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - R. Quinn
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - A. Davila
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - P. Willis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - K. Warren-Rhodes
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
- SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - M.B. Wilhelm
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - L. Caceres
- University of Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | | | - K. Zacny
- Honeybee Robotics, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M. Moreno-Paz
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain
| | - A. Dave
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - S. Seitz
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - A. Grubisic
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - M. Castillo
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - R. Bonaccorsi
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
- SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, Mountain View, California, USA
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2
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Kobayashi K, Ise JI, Aoki R, Kinoshita M, Naito K, Udo T, Kunwar B, Takahashi JI, Shibata H, Mita H, Fukuda H, Oguri Y, Kawamura K, Kebukawa Y, Airapetian VS. Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051103. [PMID: 37240748 DOI: 10.3390/life13051103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), along with the internal dynamic conditions of the early Earth, are required to understand the onset of abiogenesis. Herein, we examine the contributions of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with superflares from the young Sun to the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reduced gas mixtures representing the early Earth's atmosphere. We also compare the products with those introduced by lightning events and solar ultraviolet light (UV). In a series of laboratory experiments, we detected and characterized the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids via proton irradiation of a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and water in various mixing ratios. These experiments show the detection of amino acids after acid hydrolysis when 0.5% (v/v) of initial methane was introduced to the gas mixture. In the set of experiments with spark discharges (simulation of lightning flashes) performed for the same gas mixture, we found that at least 15% methane was required to detect the formation of amino acids, and no amino acids were detected in experiments via UV irradiation, even when 50% methane was used. Carboxylic acids were formed in non-reducing gas mixtures (0% methane) by proton irradiation and spark discharges. Hence, we suggest that GCRs and SEP events from the young Sun represent the most effective energy sources for the prebiotic formation of biologically important organic compounds from weakly reducing atmospheres. Since the energy flux of space weather, which generated frequent SEPs from the young Sun in the first 600 million years after the birth of the solar system, was expected to be much greater than that of GCRs, we conclude that SEP-driven energetic protons are the most promising energy sources for the prebiotic production of bioorganic compounds in the atmosphere of the Hadean Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensei Kobayashi
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Ise
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Ryohei Aoki
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Miei Kinoshita
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Koki Naito
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Takumi Udo
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Bhagawati Kunwar
- Chubu Institute of Advanced Studies, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Takahashi
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Hiromi Shibata
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki 567-0047, Japan
| | - Hajime Mita
- Department of Life, Environment and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka 811-0295, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Fukuda
- Open Facility Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Oguri
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Kimitaka Kawamura
- Chubu Institute of Advanced Studies, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Vladimir S Airapetian
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Sellers Exoplanetary Environments Collaboration, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Department of Physics, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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3
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Berera A, Brener DJ, Cockell CS. Detecting Microbiology in the Upper Atmosphere: Relative-Velocity Filtered Sampling. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:469-475. [PMID: 36800170 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to reopen from a practical perspective the question of the extent in altitude of Earth's biosphere. We make a number of different suggestions for how searches for biological material could be conducted in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, colloquially referred to as the "ignore-osphere" because it has been generally ignored in the meteorological community compared to other regions. Relatively recent technological advances such as CubeSats in very low Earth orbit or more standard approaches such as the rocket-borne MAGIC meteoric smoke particle sampler are shown as potentially viable for sampling biological material in the ignore-osphere. The issue of contamination is discussed, and a potential solution to the problem is proposed by means of a new detector design that filters for particles based on their size and relative velocity to the detector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Berera
- The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel J Brener
- The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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4
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Flores JC. Configurations of Proto-Cell Aggregates with Anisotropy: Gravity Promotes Complexity in Theoretical Biology. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 24:1598. [PMID: 36359690 PMCID: PMC9689301 DOI: 10.3390/e24111598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This contribution considers proto-cell structures associated with asymmetries, mainly gravity, in the framework of reaction-diffusion. There are equivalent solutions for defined morphogen parameters in the equations that allow for defining proto-tissue complexity and configurational entropy. Using RNA data, improvements to the complexity and entropy due to the Earth's gravity are presented. The theoretical proto-tissues complexity estimation, as a function of arbitrary surface gravity, is likewise proposed. In this sense, hypothetical aggregates of proto-cells on Mars would have a lower complexity than on Earth, which is equally valid for the Moon. Massive planets, or exoplanets like BD+20594b, could have major proto-tissue complexity and, eventually, rich biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan César Flores
- Departamento de Física, FACI, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7-D, Arica 1000000, Chile
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5
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Heinz J, Doellinger J, Maus D, Schneider A, Lasch P, Grossart HP, Schulze-Makuch D. Perchlorate-Specific Proteomic Stress Responses of Debaryomyces hansenii Could Enable Microbial Survival in Martian Brines. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5051-5065. [PMID: 35920032 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
If life exists on Mars, it would face several challenges including the presence of perchlorates, which destabilize biomacromolecules by inducing chaotropic stress. However, little is known about perchlorate toxicity for microorganism on the cellular level. Here we present the first proteomic investigation on the perchlorate-specific stress responses of the halotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii and compare these to generally known salt stress adaptations. We found that the responses to NaCl and NaClO4 -induced stresses share many common metabolic features, e.g., signaling pathways, elevated energy metabolism, or osmolyte biosynthesis. Nevertheless, several new perchlorate-specific stress responses could be identified, such as protein glycosylation and cell wall remodulations, presumably in order to stabilize protein structures and the cell envelope. These stress responses would also be relevant for life on Mars, which - given the environmental conditions - likely developed chaotropic defense strategies such as stabilized confirmations of biomacromolecules and the formation of cell clusters. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Heinz
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joerg Doellinger
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Deborah Maus
- Robert Koch-Institute, Metabolism of Microbial Pathogens (NG2), Berlin, Germany
| | - Andy Schneider
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Lasch
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 16775 Stechlin, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dirk Schulze-Makuch
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 16775 Stechlin, Germany.,GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Section Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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6
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Moore EK, Martinez DL, Srivastava N, Morrison SM, Spielman SJ. Mineral Element Insiders and Outliers Play Crucial Roles in Biological Evolution. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12070951. [PMID: 35888041 PMCID: PMC9323150 DOI: 10.3390/life12070951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The geosphere of primitive Earth was the source of life’s essential building blocks, and the geochemical interactions among chemical elements can inform the origins of biological roles of each element. Minerals provide a record of the fundamental properties that each chemical element contributes to crustal composition, evolution, and subsequent biological utilization. In this study, we investigate correlations between the mineral species and bulk crustal composition of each chemical element. There are statistically significant correlations between the number of elements that each element forms minerals with (#-mineral-elements) and the log of the number of mineral species that each element occurs in, and between #-mineral-elements and the log of the number of mineral localities of that element. There is a lesser correlation between the log of the crustal percentage of each element and #-mineral-elements. In the crustal percentage vs. #-mineral-elements plot, positive outliers have either important biological roles (S, Cu) or toxic biological impacts (Pb, As), while negative outliers have no biological importance (Sc, Ga, Br, Yb). In particular, S is an important bridge element between organic (e.g., amino acids) and inorganic (metal cofactors) biological components. While C and N rarely form minerals together, the two elements commonly form minerals with H, which coincides with the role of H as an electron donor/carrier in biological nitrogen and carbon fixation. Both abundant crustal percentage vs. #-mineral-elements insiders (elements that follow the correlation) and less abundant outsiders (positive outliers from the correlation) have important biological functions as essential structural elements and catalytic cofactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli K. Moore
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and the Environment, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniella L. Martinez
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and the Environment, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA;
| | - Naman Srivastava
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; (N.S.); (S.J.S.)
| | - Shaunna M. Morrison
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
| | - Stephanie J. Spielman
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; (N.S.); (S.J.S.)
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, USA
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7
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Searching for Life, Mindful of Lyfe’s Possibilities. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12060783. [PMID: 35743813 PMCID: PMC9225093 DOI: 10.3390/life12060783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We are embarking on a new age of astrobiology, one in which numerous interplanetary missions and telescopes will be designed, built, and launched with the explicit goal of finding evidence for life beyond Earth. Such a profound aim warrants caution and responsibility when interpreting and disseminating results. Scientists must take care not to overstate (or over-imply) confidence in life detection when evidence is lacking, or only incremental advances have been made. Recently, there has been a call for the community to create standards of evidence for the detection and reporting of biosignatures. In this perspective, we wish to highlight a critical but often understated element to the discussion of biosignatures: Life detection studies are deeply entwined with and rely upon our (often preconceived) notions of what life is, the origins of life, and habitability. Where biosignatures are concerned, these three highly related questions are frequently relegated to a low priority, assumed to be already solved or irrelevant to the question of life detection. Therefore, our aim is to bring to the fore how these other major astrobiological frontiers are central to searching for life elsewhere and encourage astrobiologists to embrace the reality that all of these science questions are interrelated and must be furthered together rather than separately. Finally, in an effort to be more inclusive of life as we do not know it, we propose tentative criteria for a more general and expansive characterization of habitability that we call genesity.
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Gözen I, Köksal ES, Põldsalu I, Xue L, Spustova K, Pedrueza-Villalmanzo E, Ryskulov R, Meng F, Jesorka A. Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106624. [PMID: 35322554 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain the structure and functions necessary to fulfill the criteria of life. Research addressing protocells as a central element in this transition is diverse and increasingly interdisciplinary. The authors review current protocell concepts and research directions, address milestones, challenges and existing hypotheses in the context of conditions on the early Earth, and provide a concise overview of current protocell research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Lin Xue
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Karolina Spustova
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Esteban Pedrueza-Villalmanzo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Ruslan Ryskulov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
| | - Fanda Meng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250000, China
| | - Aldo Jesorka
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
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Sky and Ground Segmentation in the Navigation Visions of the Planetary Rovers. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21216996. [PMID: 34770302 PMCID: PMC8588092 DOI: 10.3390/s21216996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sky and ground are two essential semantic components in computer vision, robotics, and remote sensing. The sky and ground segmentation has become increasingly popular. This research proposes a sky and ground segmentation framework for the rover navigation visions by adopting weak supervision and transfer learning technologies. A new sky and ground segmentation neural network (network in U-shaped network (NI-U-Net)) and a conservative annotation method have been proposed. The pre-trained process achieves the best results on a popular open benchmark (the Skyfinder dataset) by evaluating seven metrics compared to the state-of-the-art. These seven metrics achieve 99.232%, 99.211%, 99.221%, 99.104%, 0.0077, 0.0427, and 98.223% on accuracy, precision, recall, dice score (F1), misclassification rate (MCR), root mean squared error (RMSE), and intersection over union (IoU), respectively. The conservative annotation method achieves superior performance with limited manual intervention. The NI-U-Net can operate with 40 frames per second (FPS) to maintain the real-time property. The proposed framework successfully fills the gap between the laboratory results (with rich idea data) and the practical application (in the wild). The achievement can provide essential semantic information (sky and ground) for the rover navigation vision.
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