Help: How to Use the Rover Driving Control Panel

On the control panel you can see through the rover's camera, read the rover's command log, and read messages sent to the Mars Station by other users. If the Mars Station allows it, you can also use the control panel to drive the rover, execute special commands, and send your own messages to the Mars Station.

Driving the Rover

If you have driving privileges, you can drive the rover around its environment by clicking on the Forward, Back, Left, and Right arrow buttons on the control panel. You can instruct how long the rover should move, and how much power you send to the rover's motors, by selecting those options from the drop-down menus. Some basic driving tips:

• It's always safest to move forward, because that's the direction your camera points, so you know what hazards lie ahead.
• Moving backward is most dangerous because you don't know what lurks behind you!
• Most Mars Station Rovers use skid steering, so that they turn in place. But you can still run into unseen objects when turning. Click here to learn about skid steering.
• Be careful! If you move too far at once you can run into hazards before you have a chance to stop the rover. And if you get the rover stuck or tip it over, it's on Mars and you're on Earth--you can't go there and fix it!

Click here for more driving tips, and click here to learn about the challenges faced by real rover operators.

• What if I can't see the control panel? At most Mars Stations, only one person is allowed to drive the rover at a time. Other people who log in must wait in line. While you're waiting, you can still see through the camera and see the logbook, but you can't drive.

Seeing Through the Camera

Every Mars Station Rover carries a Web camera. (Click here to see our rover.) Whenever you send a driving command to the rover, the rover will capture a new image and send it back to you. If you command the rover to drive for a long time, it will send several images to you in a row. These are still, not video, images.

• Image Transfer Errors: If you see an "Image Transfer Error" message, just hit the button to tell the rover to try to send you another picture. If you still don't see an image, there may be a problem with the camera. You can report the problem to the site administrator.
• If the Camera Image Doesn't Change: If you issue a command to the rover and the image doesn't change, either the rover doesn't have enough power to move (try giving it more power) or it may be stuck. Driving forward or backward is more likely to get a rover un-stuck than turning it. If the rover really appears to be stuck, you can report the problem to the site administrator.

Reading the Rover's Command Log

The rover's command log tells you the history of commands that have been sent to the rover, and who sent each command. It also shows you who's driving right now. If there are too many users logged in for you to be able to drive, you can watch the command log to see what commands the current driver is sending to the rover.

Executing Special Commands

Some--but not all--Mars Stations have intelligent rovers that can perform special commands. For example, a rover could have a robotic arm or a moveable camera, or you might be able to instruct the rover to move a specified distance. Click here to learn about our rover's capabilities.

To send these commands to the rover, select a command from the "Rover Commands" menu and hit the Execute Command button. If there are no options in the menu, then no special commands are available. If the rover command takes a long time to execute, you may need to hit the button a few seconds later to check on the results of the command.

Reading Messages Sent to the Mars Station

Messages are written in the Command Log, but you can look at just the messages by clicking on the button.

Sending Your Own Messages to the Mars Station

If you want to send your own message, type it into the Message Window and hit the button. It's best to keep your messages relatively short. And be nice!