NASA 'Optometrists' Verify Mars 2020 Rover's 20/20 Vision

As I was researching some "Space" related material to post, I came upon an article on the Mars 2020 Rover and the 20/20 vision verification testing that has been completed... When you click the link for the site, make sure that you click on the top image! IT will present you with a much larger image of the Rover and you will see how large this rover vehicle is!!! Take note of the composite racing wheels (LOL!). Seriously, this is going to be one big Mars vehicle!!!

Teaser:
"We completed the machine-vision calibration of the forward-facing cameras on the rover," said Justin Maki, chief engineer for imaging and the imaging scientist for Mars 2020 at JPL. "This measurement is critical for accurate stereo vision, which is an important capability of the vehicle."

Engineer Chris Chatellier stands next to a target board with 1,600 dots. The board was one of several used on July 23, 2019, in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility's High Bay 1 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to calibrate the forward-facing cameras on the Mars 2020 rover. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

To perform the calibration, the 2020 team imaged target boards that feature grids of dots, placed at distances ranging from 1 to 44 yards (1 to 40 meters) away. The target boards were used to confirm that the cameras meet the project's requirements for resolution and geometric accuracy. The cameras tested included two Navcams, four Hazcams, the SuperCam and the two Mastcam-Z cameras.

"We tested every camera on the front of the rover chassis and also those mounted on the mast," said Maki. "Characterizing the geometric alignment of all these imagers is important for driving the vehicle on Mars, operating the robotic arm and accurately targeting the rover's laser." For more information, read the article..." NASA