DREAMS Laboratory

The Distributed Robotic Exploration and Mapping Systems (DREAMS) Laboratory specializes in the research and development of autonomous robotic systems and cyber-physical twins, for advanced mapping, sampling, and analysis in diverse environments — terrestrial, aquatic, and extraterrestrial. DREAMS Lab is composed of a multidisciplinary team of researchers in engineering and science, passionate about pushing the boundaries of exploration and discovery.

As part of Arizona State University, the DREAMS Lab is affiliated with the School of Earth and Space Exploration, the Global Futures Laboratory, and the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science (GDCS). Located in the heart of innovation at ASU's Walton Center for Planetary Health (WCPH), the lab welcomes everyone interested in pioneering research and scholarship.

Focus Areas

Aquatic

Robotic boats and autonomous underwater vehicles for limnological, littoral, and coastal mapping and sampling of the water column, and the benthos.

Projects

Collaborative Robotic Aquatic Laboratory (CoRAL)
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Testing of uDrone autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at Earth Innovation Hub Corp facilities (courtesy: Jnaneshwar Das)
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DREAMS lab robotic boat R/V Karin Valentine being tested at ASU BIOS facilities in Bermuda (2022). Courtesy: Rodney Staggers Jr. and Kaitlin Noyes (BIOS).
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uDrone autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) being tested at Earth Innovation Hub Corp. facilities. (courtesy: Jnaneshwar Das)
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Terrestrial

Projects span geomorphology, drylands ecology, and precision agriculture. Systems and algorithms operate as a network of autonomous ground and aerial vehicles, and ground based static sensors, enabled by cyber-physical twins.

Projects

Terrestrial Robotic Observing Network (TRON)
QuAD-FLIP: Quadrotor Aerial Delivery with Flipping for Limited-access Inspection and Probing
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Low SWaP embedded compute on open-source PX4 software stack, running on Pixhawk 2.1 flight controller, enables precise object throw leveraging a 'belly-flop' or flipping maneuver, using model predictive control (MPC). Research courtesy: Saransh Jain. arxiv
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EarthRover: Affordable and Sustainable Mobility Autonomy for 4D Environmental Monitoring

Planetary

Surface feature mapping, vision systems, and digital twins, with focus on Mars and Moon.

Projects

Sub-centimeter Resolution Lunar Digital Twin for Collaborative and Immersive Mission Planning (NASA STTR)
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High-resolution 3D model of a boulder from Apollo 17 astronaut imagery, processed using DREAMS lab's photogrammetry pipeline for NASA STTR project on digital twins for Lunar mission planning. A synthesized circular orbit camera path was rendered in Blender using Python scripting, on this textured model.
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Gaussian splatting applied to a test rock-set, for Lunar digital twin effort (NASA STTR), courtesy Fenil Bardoliya.
High-altitude balloon payload with attitude control and predictive scheduling, for environmental monitoring

Cyber-Physical Twins

Digital and Physical twins leveraging cyber-physical systems, for simulation studies, dynamical analysis, and predictive modeling of environmental processes.

Projects

DeepGIS decision support system
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DREAMS lab digital twin pipeline applied to public domain clip Snorkeling US Virgin Islands National Park Coral Reef Caribbean St John USVI , acquired by @thelava_co. (Left) Original video (Right) Digital twin with synced camera poses through structure from motion algorithms.
Virtual Shake Robot and ShakeBot
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Utilizing a physics engine and robotic tools, a virtual shake robot (VSR) was developed to simulate the dynamics of precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) during overturning and large-displacement processes. (research courtesy: Zhiang Chen) PDF
OpenUAV Simulation Testbed
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Art and Outreach

Extending innovations from research activities, a creative outlet for DREAMS lab members.

Projects

The Journey Aquatic (lead artist Mark Dill)
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Funded by 2023 Burning Man Honoraria Art Grants, video courtesy -- co-artist Darin Basile
A Modest Stability (concept for 2025 honoraria art grants)

People

Photo Name Position Affiliation
Jnaneshwar Das Jnaneshwar Das Director (faculty) ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration
Tracey Lott Tracey Lott XR Developer ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Zhiang Chen Zhiang Chen Affiliate Postdoctoral Scholar California Institute of Technology
Akshay Mahalle Akshay Mahalle Computational Geomorphology Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Evan Kohl Evan Kohl 3D Modeling Research Aide ASU School of Art
Deep Rodge Deep Rodge Perception Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Yi-Hau Lai Yi-Hau Lai Robotics and Perception Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Fenil Bardoliya Fenil Bardoliya Computer Vision Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Adithya Yerramsetty Adithya Yerramsetty Computer Vision Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Swaraj Akurathi Swaraj Akurathi Field Robotics Research Aide ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Saransh Jain Saransh Jain Affiliate Researcher Argonne National Laboratory
Andrea Schoonover Andrea Schoonover Research Volunteer ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering
Rodney Staggers Jr. Rodney Staggers Jr. Ph.D. student ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration

Assets

Name Description Photo Project
R/V Karin Valentine (robotic boat) R/V Karin Valentine is an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) or a robotic boat, capable of water column sampling, bathymetric mapping, and physical sample return from water bodies such as lakes and marinas. Asset Image Collaborative Robotic Aquatic Laboratory (CoRAL)
uDrone autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) uDrone is a quadrotor format agile autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), designed for operating solo, or in tandem with R/V Karin Valentine autonomous surface vehicle (ASV), that serves as a base ship for heterogeneous operations. uDrone has been designed for persistent coral reef monitoring and geological bathymetric mapping. Asset Image Collaborative Robotic Aquatic Laboratory (CoRAL)
Rocky II hexrotor drone Rocky II is a hexrotor drone for searching and mapping of fragile geologic features such as precariously balanced rocks. Rocky II has also been used for multi-spectral imaging for rocky fault scarps. Asset Image Terrestrial Robotic Observing Network (TRON)
EarthPod Sensor Probe Designed to operate solo or as a sensor network, EarthPod is a sensor probe that can do weather and soil parameter sampling for time series studies, EarthPod when networked, can help do optimal interpolation of scalar fields such as temperature, for environmental monitoring. Asset Image Terrestrial Robotic Observing Network (TRON)
High-altitude balloon payload Lightweight, low SWaP (< 1.5 kg) high-altitude balloon payload for aerobiological sampling. The innovation incorporates the latest drone flight control technologies and custom environmental sensing hardware. A ground-tested prototype for the payload has been designed Asset Image High-altitude balloon payload with attitude control and predictive scheduling, for environmental monitoring
EarthRover 26” Schwinn adult tricycle frame, augmented with a front electric motor for traction, a steering system, rear aerodynamic solar panel assembly, a rear mast for avionics, sensing, and compute payloads. The vehicle’s large (26”) wheels and low weight (65 kg), enables stability and long range (up to 50 km a day with solar), and is capable of GPS-enabled vision based autonomous navigation on paved or unpaved paths. The vehicle can execute repeatable paths that are either learned by the system from experimental drives by a rider, or through specified or optimized mission plans. Asset Image EarthRover: Affordable and Sustainable Mobility Autonomy for 4D Environmental Monitoring
Flippy quadrotor drone Lightweight and agile quadrotor drone with 45cm diameter, with onboard gripper and ARM compute, capable of acrobatic maneuvers. Asset Image QuAD-FLIP: Quadrotor Aerial Delivery with Flipping for Limited-access Inspection and Probing

Publications

(2024). Quantifying and analysing rock trait distributions of rocky fault scarps using deep learning . Access

(2024). Virtual Shake Robot: Simulating Dynamics of Precariously Balanced Rocks for Overturning and Large-displacement Processes . Access

(2023). A Survey of Decision-Theoretic Approaches for Robotic Environmental Monitoring . Access

(2021). Terrain-Relative Diver Following with Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Coral Reef Mapping . Access

(2021). OpenUAV Cloud Testbed: a Collaborative Design Studio for Field Robotics . Access

(2020). Geomorphological Analysis Using Unpiloted Aircraft Systems, Structure from Motion, and Deep Learning . Access

(2018). Robust Fruit Counting: Combining Deep Learning, Tracking, and Structure from Motion . Access

(2017). Counting Apples and Oranges With Deep Learning: A Data-Driven Approach . Access

(2015). Data-driven robotic sampling for marine ecosystem monitoring . Access

(2015). Devices, systems, and methods for automated monitoring enabling precision agriculture . Access

(2012). Coordinated sampling of dynamic oceanographic features with underwater vehicles and drifters . Access

(1). Google Scholar . Access

Sponsors and Partners