Accessible Exploration Initiative: Science is for everyone!
We are happy to announce that Project ESPRESSO is expanding with our new Accessible Exploration Initiative! We are adding three efforts designed to test new ways to help enable exploration for everyone.
The first of these is our Open Telerobotics Rover program. During future Project ESPRESSO field campaigns, classrooms and other groups will be able to remotely operate a well-instrumented rover in parallel with our team.
Our goal with this effort is to learn about how telerobotics can be used to increase access to remote field sites for people that would otherwise be unable to travel there, while also developing better interfaces for off-world exploration.
The rover will be remotely operated by people who would find physically accessing these sites challenging or impossible. Our team will be conducting field tests of instruments and techniques that astronauts may use to explore the Moon in the future, and the rover pilots will be exploring along with us.
Our second effort is to deploy a set of portable Tactile Telescope Systems, which will produce tactile prints of the Moon and other objects in the night sky in real time. Our goal is to learn about responsive non-visual interfaces for solar system exploration.
After iteration and refinement, we hope this initiative will help make the experience of real-time viewing of the Moon and night sky more accessible to the blind and low-vision community.
Our final effort is to launch a series of Maker-Explorer events, where we interact directly with members of the public who want to make these two platforms even better. What instrument would you bring to the field? What interfaces would you like to use to explore remote sites?
