Terrain classification and rock abundance analysis at Utopia Planitia using Zhurong image data based on deep learning algorithms

Abstract

The complexity of image scene information presents challenges for the trafficability assessment and path planning of Mars rovers. To ensure the operational safety of Mars rovers and extract terrain features from complex image scenes, this paper develops an end-to-end deep learning model, using the deep convolutional neural networks ResNet50 and DeepLabV3 + as the framework, with images from the Zhurong rover’s navigation camera as the training and test datasets. A deep learning model suitable for classification and segmentation of terrain in the Mars Utopia Planitia region has been established and applied to planetary geology research. The classification accuracy of model exceeds 83.90 % and segmentation accuracy exceeds 80 %. Subsequently, an analysis of 1309 raw images from the navigation camera yielded 203,744 individual estimates of rock abundance, the model evaluates the rock abundance in the Utopia Planitia region, where the Zhurong rover is located, at 10.94 %. The terrain classification model proposed in this study provides both engineering and scientific value for future rovers on the Utopia Planitia.