Sep 30, 2012. Text below is outdated – method of travel in a project will be == jump + roving. Two wheels instead of three. Software combined with ground station software design.

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Desired direction and distance will be sent to probe from ground control. On vehicle movement acceleration and azimuth from sensors and motors performance will be accumulated together with solar panel efficiency and on-board computer that will make decisions to achieve desired point of travel.

Main on board computer will map movements on each travel-session and deliver bitmap with movements and recorded angles.

Guidance system unit will ask opinion of a main computer to choose next movement. If main computer not available it will try to match desired position with a current positions. If movement attempt is not possible (obstacle) it will randomly choose next movement with a correction to final destination for a next communication session. Basically it will be try-failure steps to get desired direction/point.

If main computer available it takes control for everything. Last (destination) point will require some movements around it to properly orient antenna to Earth.

3 wheels on vehicle will have flexibility to rotate – this will bring challenge to control direction of movement. But this will allow to perform flip-sides of vehicle to allow better solar panels performance.