NASA · NASA-244 · record R0175
SPOC (Soil Property and Object Classification)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration · JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Overview
- Development stage
- DeployedSource: c) Deployed – The use case is being actively authorized or utilized to support the functions or mission of an agency.
- High-impact designation
- Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
- Impact justification
- Not reported
- Start date
- 2020-07-01 (day precision)Source: 07/01/2020 00:00:00
- Withheld from public reporting
- NoSource: a) No
Mission
- Topic area
- Science
- Operational functions
- Image and video analysis Derived by keyword rules; see methodology
Problem the AI is intended to solve
Using a convolutional neural network (CNN), SPOC (Soil Property and Object Classification) takes rover images and classifies the terrain type (e.g., sand, soil) from visual appearance.
Expected benefits
This ability enables rover to drive more safely.
System outputs
Terrain image classifications such as soil, sand, rock, etc.
Technology
- AI classification
- Computer visionSource: Computer Vision: AI that processes and interprets visual data (e.g., images and videos).
- System name(s)
- Multiple approved space-based systems
- Custom-developed code
- Yes
- Public source code
- Not reported
Sourcing
- How it was built
- Developed in-houseSource: b) Developed in-house
- Vendor (as reported)
- Not reported
- Vendors (standardized)
- None on the standard list
A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.
Data and privacy
- Involves PII
- No
- Privacy Impact Assessment
- Not reported
- Authorization to Operate
- No
- Demographic features
- Not reported
- Training and evaluation data
- It is trained by labeled images from MER (Mars Exploration Rover), MSL (Mars Science Laboratory), and Mars 2020 rovers, annotated by tens of thousands of citizen scientsts through the AI4Mars project. SPOC deployed on MSL's ground operation system and onboard test on M2020 is being considered. SPOC is one of many inputs to navigation.
- Federal Data Catalog
- Not reported
Governance
0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.
Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported
AI impact assessmentNo answer reported
Independent reviewNo answer reported
Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported
Operator trainingNo answer reported
Fail-safeNo answer reported
Appeal processNo answer reported
User and public consultationNo answer reported
Potential impacts and how they were identified
Not reported