DREAMS Laboratory

The Distributed Robotic Exploration and Mapping Systems (DREAMS) Laboratory specializes in the research and development of autonomous robotic systems. These systems are designed for advanced mapping and sampling across diverse environments—terrestrial, aquatic, and extraterrestrial. DREAMS Lab is composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts 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 Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, and the DreamScape Discovery Initiative. 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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Terrestrial

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

Projects

Terrestrial Robotic Observing Network (TRON)
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QuAD-FLIP: Quadrotor Aerial Delivery with Flipping for Limited-access Inspection and Probing

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
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High-altitude balloon payload with attitude control and predictive scheduling, for environmental monitoring
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Cyber-Physical Twins

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

Projects

DeepGIS decision support system
Virtual Shake Robot and ShakeBot
Terrain mapping and analysis for DreamScape Discovery Initiative (DDI)
OpenUAV Simulation Testbed

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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A Modest Stability (invited for full proposal)
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People

Photo Name Position Affiliation
Jnaneshwar Das Jnaneshwar Das Faculty School of Earth and Space Exploration
Tracey Lott Tracey Lott Extended Reality Developer DreamScape Discovery Initiative
Andrea Schoonover Andrea Schoonover Research Volunteer Fulton Schools of Engineering
Saransh Jain Saransh Jain Research Volunteer School of Earth and Space Exploration
Zhiang Chen Zhiang Chen Affiliate Postdoctoral Researcher California Institute of Technology
Rodney Staggers Jr. Rodney Staggers Jr. Ph.D. student School of Earth and Space Exploration
Adithya Yerramsetty Adithya Yerramsetty Research Aide Fulton Schools of Engineering
Anyell Mata Anyell Mata Research Aide Fulton Schools of Engineering

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)
Flippy Agile quadrotor drone Flippy is a 45cm diameter quadrotor drone capable of agile maneuvers such as belly-flopping to launch a sensor probe. Asset Image Terrestrial Robotic Observing Network (TRON)
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 The project’s aim is to develop an autonomous payload for a high-altitude weather balloon. The payload will adhere to the CubeSat format and have a combined weight of less than 3 lbs (1.3 kg). Its primary functions will involve ground feature/object tracking and aerobiological sampling. This endeavor offers a cost-effective solution for researchers to collect data autonomously. The project’s anticipated duration is approximately six months, with a planned completion date in April 2024. Asset Image High-altitude balloon payload with attitude control and predictive scheduling, for environmental monitoring

Publications

(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

Funding Sources