Statistical models of the environment can tell explorer robots where to travel, what samples to collect and what data to return to scientists. Much of my work aims to ground autonomous science decisions by remote explorers in formal principles of information theory, active learning and experimental design.

• D. R. Thompson, T. Smith and D. Wettergreen. Information-Optimal Selective Data Return for Autonomous Rover Traverse Science and Survey. ICRA 2008 (PDF)
• D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. A Tale of Two Rovers: Mission Scenarios for Kilometer-Scale Site Survey. ICRA Rover Workshop 2008 (Abstract)
• D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Intelligent Maps for Autonomous Kilometer-Scale Site Survey. ISAIRAS 2008 (PDF)
• D. R. Thompson. Predictive Exploration for Autonomous Science. Proceedings AAAI Doctoral Consortium 2007 (PDF) (Presentation).
• T. Smith, D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Generating Exponentially Smaller POMDP Models Using Conditionally Irrelevant Variable Abstraction. ICAPS 2007 (PDF).
• D. R. Thompson, T. Smith, and D. Wettergreen. Data Mining during Rover Traverse: From Images to Geologic Signatures. ISAIRAS 2005 (PDF).

Teaching a compter to find rocks in images is a challenging computer vision problem. However, the ability to produce fast statistical summaries of rock scenes would be a big benefit for geologic analysis. It will also be important for future missions to Mars and outer planets in which an autonomous spacecraft can use rock detection to automatically recognize important science targets (Original Mars image NASA/JPL/Caltech).

• H. Dunlop, D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Multiscale Features for Detection and Segmentation of Rocks in Mars Imagery. CVPR 2007 (PDF).
• D. R. Thompson and B. Castano. A Performance Comparison of Rock Detection Algorithms. IEEE Aerospace, 2007 (PDF).
• D. R. Thompson and B. Castano. A Comparison of Rock Detection Algorithms. AGU 2007 (Poster).
• D. R. Thompson, S. Niekum, T. Smith and D. Wettergreen. Automatic Detection and Classification of Geologic Features of Interest. IEEE Aerospace 2005 (PDF).

We want robots that can track a lot of objects simultaneously, target the interesting ones for analysis, and recognize things they've seen before. This is tough when you're constantly moving around to see features from different perspectives. However, we're making progress with some visual tracking, scene geometry and shennanigans with a wide-baseline stereo rig.

• F. Calderon P., D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Autonomous Rover Reflectance Spectroscopy with Dozens of Targets. ISAIRAS 2008
• D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Multi-Object Detection with Multiple-View Expectation Maximization Clustering IROS, 2005 (PDF).

I'm working on a project to perform data mining on orbital imagery to automatically draft maps and characterize science phenomena. Recently I've used spatial point processes to generate automatic maps of varying rock distributions in imagery from the Mars HiRise orbiting camera. The statistical models can identify patterns in features' clustering and spread that may not be visible to the naked eye.

• D. R. Thompson and D. Wettergreen. Spatial Point Process Models for the Distribution of Northern Plains Boulders LPSC 2007 (PDF).

I worked with the Planetary Science Summer School and the Jet Propulsion Lab TEAMX spacecraft design team to develop a prototype Venus lander. Our concept focused on a short-term mission to investigate atmosphere/surface interatctions and mineralogy. Venus is a fascinating and little-understood planet. The VEIL project's basic premises were that a) surface exploration will eventually be necessary to understand its evolution, and b) this is possible on a relatively strict budget.

• VEIL Team. VEIL: A New Frontiers Class Mission Concept for Exploring Venus. AGU 2007 (Abstract) (Poster).
• VEIL Team. VEIL: A New Frontiers Class Mission Design Concept. DPS 2007 (Poster).

I worked with a CMU project that ran some robot field tests in the driest place on Earth - the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. There we simulated remote science operations as an analog to a search for life on another planet. During field operations autonomy software automatically identified lichens with the help of a fluorescence imager device.

• T. Smith, D. R. Thompson, D. Wettergreen N. Cabrol, K. Warren-Rhodes and S. Weinstein. Life in the Atacama: Science Autonomy for Improved Data Quality. Journal of Geophysics Researchvol. 112, G04S03, Dec. 2007.
• D. R. Thompson, T. Smith and D. Wettergreen. Automatic Detection of Novel Biologic and Geologic Images in Atacama Desert Rover Traverse Imagery. LPSC 2006 (PDF).
• T. Smith, D. R. Thompson, S. Weinstein and D. Wettergreen. Automatic Chlorophyll Detection and Followup Applied to the Search for Life in the Atacama LPSC 2006 (PDF).

The humble leaf about which the world revolves! Lots of tea-heads will wax poetic about the 300-year-old British teamaking tradition. I favor the 2000-year-old Asian tradition: an infinite variety of styles and flavors, each refined to its own art form.

• Fujian Whites (a.k.a. Bai Mu Dan, Shou Mei): I prefer these rustic styles of white tea to their classier "Silver Needle" cousins. They look like craft-store potpourri, and smell like coconut or (sometimes) apricots. Shou Mei in particular makes a sturdy daily cuppa.
• Sencha: As Japanese as Godzilla, but greener still, this classification encompasses a wide range of daily (non-ceremonial) Japanese teas. It looks like grass clippings, and tastes like vegetables - spinach or asparagus, perhaps. This is a tough one to brew properly, especially at the higher grades. But expertise is rewarded with a well-nuanced cup.
• Tung-Ting Oolong: The greener oolong teas, especially those produced in Taiwan, are my favorite of all. Unfortunately their price is usually commensurate with their quality! Flavors suggest honey, peach, vanilla, or a bouquet of flowers. There's no tea presentation quite so elegant as dozens of perfect uniform two-leaves-and-a-bud pickings.

I practice a moderate calorie restriction regimen. The idea is based on a large number of animal studies (from nematode worms up to rats and monkeys) which show that reducing calorie intake while maintaining nutrient levels triggers health-improving metabolic changes and slows the aging process by as much as 30-40%. What about humans? Ask me in 2050, I'll have a better idea then. In the meantime I consume 2000 calories a day under the supervision of a professional nutritionist. (weight updates after 8 months)

A relatively new music craze. I'm a big fan of the French Impressionists (Ravel, Debussy) although I've recently investigated some more modern stuff. Bartok's string quartets are my all-time favorite.