Abstract DGP2026-80

Overview:

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover's imaging instruments Mastcam-Z and Navcam are powerful remote-sensing instruments with myriad applications in geology, meteorology and astrobiology, as well as in rover navigation and maintenance [Bell a; Maki a].

Transferring Mastcam-Z and Navcam image data into 3D-spatial digital outcrop models allows detailed sedimentological, stratigraphic and structural observations of features in Jezero Crater [Caravaca].

To process the many datasets into digital outcrop models and make them accessible for virtual-reality applications, a pipeline has been set up to automate large parts of the process.

 

Methods:

This pipeline uses the highly customisable, open-source software AliceVision Meshroom [Griwodz], which, in addition to the graphical user interface, also includes a command-line interface that can be invoked from Python code for batch processing.

The image-data input consists of the radiance-calibrated (RAD) PDS4 data products [Bell b; Maki b]. Those are then debayered and colour-stretched for "enhanced" false-colour and "natural" colour images [Rojas].

The metadata is extracted from the PDS4 labels, which include the geometric "CAHVOR" camera model. From this, the photogrammetric camera model is calculated following [Li], containing parameters such as focal length, principal point, radial distortion, etc., which are then exported in JSON format.

Images are then imported into the Meshroom SfM pipeline, initialised and then updated with the metadata file. Additionally, the software's camera sensor database needs to be updated with the Mars 2020 sensor characteristics.

The general SfM pipeline consists of camera initialisation, feature extraction, feature matching and SfM triangulation. This results in a point cloud, which is then georeferenced and can be further used in the meshing and texturing steps to create digital outcrop models.

 

Application and future work:

The datasets will be used for geological analysis to further the understanding of the structural and stratigraphic architectures in and beyond Jezero Crater, especially the western fan delta and the crater rim.

The DOMs could be combined with the 360° Mastcam-Z panoramas (https://mastcamz.asu.edu/mastcam-zs-360-panorama-collection) for the Jezero webserver [Walter] and prepared for virtual-reality applications, both also serving as repositories for the 3D spatial datasets. The pipeline can also be adopted for long-range reconstruction of delta outcrops, utilising long stereo baselines of Mastcam-Z images aided by Navcam and other Perseverance imaging instruments, accessing regions kilometres away from the rover's path.

Additionally, the pipeline is easily adapted for legacy systems, including the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity.

 

Acknowledgements:

This work is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) through the German Space Agency at DLR on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag (Funding code: 50 OO 2601).

References:

[Bell a] Bell, J. F., J. N. Maki, G. L. Mehall, et al. “The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mast Camera Zoom (Mastcam-Z) Multispectral, Stereoscopic Imaging Investigation.” Space Science Reviews 217, no. 1 (2021): 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00755-x.

 

[Bell b] J. F. Bell and J. M. Maki, 2021a. Mars 2020 mast camera zoom bundle, from operations team, calibrated products. NASA Planetary Data System ,517

 

[Bell c] J. F. Bell and J. N. Maki, 2021b. Mars 2020 mast camera zoom bundle, from arizona state university mastcam-z instrument team, calibrated products.519

NASA Planetary Data System , 163.

165.

 

[Caravaca] Caravaca, G., G. Dromart, N. Mangold, et al. “Depositional Facies and Sequence Stratigraphy of Kodiak Butte, Western Delta of Jezero Crater, Mars.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129, no. 4 (2024): e2023JE008205. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JE008205.

 

[Griwodz] Griwodz, Carsten, Simone Gasparini, Lilian Calvet, et al. “AliceVision Meshroom: An Open-Source 3D Reconstruction Pipeline.” Proceedings of the 12th ACM Multimedia Systems Conference - MMSys ’21, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1145/3458305.3478443.

 

[Li] “CAHVOR Camera Model and Its Photogrammetric Conversion for Planetary Applications - Di - 2004 - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets - Wiley Online Library.” Accessed December 21, 2025. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2003JE002199.

 

[Maki a] Maki, J. N., D. Gruel, C. McKinney, et al. “The Mars 2020 Engineering Cameras and Microphone on the Perseverance Rover: A Next-Generation Imaging System for Mars Exploration.” Space Science Reviews 216, no. 8 (2020): 137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00765-9.

 

[Maki b]J. N. Maki, 2020. Mars 2020 engineering camera (ecam) bundle. NASA Planetary Data System , 134

 

[Rojas] Rojas, C, J F Bell Iii, K N Paris, et al. MASTCAM-Z IMAGE PRODUCTS IN MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE AND INGENUITY OPERATIONS. no. 2806 (2023).

 

[Walter] Walter, Sebastian, Christoph Gross, Alicia Neesemann, et al. “An Interactive Virtual Hiking Map for Jezero Crater, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Site.” September 1, 2022, EPSC2022-32. https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2022-32.