Simulated Virtual Presence from a Robotic Mars Outpost in stereo 3D
  
Please use only red and cyan (light blue) glasses, the red and dark blue glasses won't work. (click on stereo glasses symbol for info on how to obtain red/cyan glasses.)

Experiencing Mars Virtual Presence in the Future

Here's an idea of mine: send rovers with multiple stereo HDTV cameras, arrayed outwards to send back continuous moving 360 degree panoramas. The image below illustrates the idea using Polar Lander-type cameras, just to show how it might work someday.

Almost "live" wrap-around TV pictures from Mars are not currently possible. But plans are underway to send a series of telecom orbiters specifically for increasing the amount of band-width between Mars and Earth. Theoretically, a rover equipped with a 360 degree stereo HDTV system could send back continuous 3D images. By building a darkened, circular "Marsarium Theater", the entire panorama could be seen with special glasses - as it's coming back direct from Mars. The image at the top of this page is a simplified view of a man viewing a wrap-around stereo panorama. (no, the scene is not continuous, it's just an example). If you saw the 360 degree movie "America the Beautiful" at Disneyland, you can imagine how extraordinary the possibilities are for such a Virtual Presence experience. The sounds of Mars could also be piped in, perhaps, from the rovers omnidirectional microphones. No need to simulate the freezing Martian temperatures, though. The Internet of the future might also make some of this experience possible at home, possibly. Keep in mind that this only an idea of mine, not a program under development.

But if such a system could be used on Mars, it could be used for other planets or moons someday. This is one way of fulfilling NASA's goal of "establishing a virtual presence throughout the solar system". Would it useful for the scientists? Maybe not. Expensive? Undoubtedly. The next best thing to being there? It just might be!

Some of the different elements of this proposed system either exist already or on the horizon.The next sections show a few of them. Imagine if they were all combined:

Finely detailed high-resolution stereo imaging

Actual sounds from another planet -the forerunner of streaming audio

360° panoramic views

Ability to show a moving scene in stereo 3D

Finely detailed high-resolution stereo imaging

I've discovered quite a few stereo images of various planetary bodies but these are some of the most impressive. They're closeup stereo views taken by American astronauts on the moon. Despite the strange colors they are detailed and true-to-life. They're shown all on one page for the best effect. Click on the footprint.

 

 

Actual sounds from another planet -the forerunner of streaming audio

Mars Microphone Project, The Planetary Society

In August, 2008, special microphones were supposed to arrive on the surface of Mars onboard four Netlanders. The Netlanders would have been carried on a French orbiter. But the orbiter and Netlanders were cancelled. The Society will re-fly a Mars Microphone on the 2007 Phoenix Mars lander.

 

 

Whatever sounds can be picked up from the four different landing sites will be played back here at home. For the first time in history humans will experience Mars with our own ears. Visit the Mars Microphone Project.

 

360° panoramic views

Planetary Virtual Reality features many examples of Mars panoramas including:

 Viking Landers Quicktime VR
  

Mars Pathfinder Quicktime VR

 

 

Ability to show a moving scene in stereo 3D

Moving stereo

 

 

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