How Far Ahead Should You Monitor for Obstacles When Controlling a Mars Rover?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the distance a Mars rover should monitor for obstacles, specifically a cliff, while considering the communication delay between Earth and Mars. The problem involves concepts from kinematics and the speed of light.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss converting distances from kilometers to meters and calculating the communication time based on the speed of light. There are inquiries about the implications of communication delays on the rover's ability to respond to obstacles.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants sharing calculations and confirming each other's reasoning. Some guidance has been provided regarding the interpretation of the communication delay and its impact on the rover's monitoring distance.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a hypothetical scenario involving significant distances and the limitations of communication speed. There is an emphasis on understanding the implications of these factors on the rover's operational safety.

Manh
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You sit at NASA to control the Mars rover across the Martian surface 2.0 x 10^8 km away. The communication travels at the speed of light between Earth and Mars, and the rover's top speed is 2.0 m/min. How far ahead in the rover's field of view you have to watch out for a Martian cliff?

My first attempt was converting km to m to start the problem.

Can anyone guide me how to solve the problem? Thanks!
 
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Manh said:
My first attempt was converting km to m to start the problem.
That's a start.
You have a distance in metres and a velocity in m/s (speed of light) what is the travel time of communication?
 
Is speed of light 299 792 458 m/s? If so, I would take 2.0 x 10^11 m divide by 299 792 458 m/s.
 
Correct.
You have the communication delay time, now what?
What are you trying to find?
 
I would convert my communication time (approximately about 667.13 s) to minute. From there, I multiply my min value by 2.0 m/min to get distance of rover traveled.
 
Correct.
 
I have 22.24 m for distance of rover. What else do I need to complete the problem?
 
Apply some common sense.
What you see in the video feed is 22.24 m behind the actual position. If you see a cliff and want to stop you'll travel 22.24 m before the 'stop' signal is received by the rover.
With that in mind:
How far ahead in the rover's field of view you have to watch out for a Martian cliff?
 

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