ASSESS

The Martian Mindset Cluster of Excellence is investigating how, under conditions of extreme resource scarcity and complete abandonment of fossil fuels, a production line can be realized that is essential for the long-term colonization of Mars. Regolith is available in large quantities on Mars as a primary raw material. This heterogeneous mineral mixture contains numerous chemically and technologically relevant components that can be extracted and further processed via multi-stage process chains.
In order to achieve resource-efficient production and sufficient quality of the end product, it is crucial to minimize uncertainty regarding the properties of the raw material used in the production processes. This requires a monitoring solution for polydisperse particles that can withstand the harsh conditions on Mars and the scarcity of monitoring resources. In order to overcome existing, complex, and mostly highly specialized monitoring concepts, the goal is to derive information about the polydisperse particles from easily measurable quantities, so-called descriptors. To this end, a versatile, robot-assisted monitoring system is being developed and tactile-optical descriptors are being introduced. The monitoring system combines various optical (scattered light) measurement methods and evaluates the movement properties of the material in response to a targeted, robot-induced tactile impact. 

This yields values for the tactile-optical descriptors, which can be used to indirectly determine the geometric properties such as size, shape, and homogeneity of various granulated materials. As part of the work, the tactile-optical approach is implemented and characterized in terms of measurement uncertainty and measurement limits. The monitoring options are investigated and digitally modeled, including the possibilities for regolith, metal powder, and plastic granulates as important raw materials for raw material extraction and processing. In addition, the monitoring setup is also used to assess surface contamination (on tools and workpieces) by particles. The end result will be a characterized monitoring system for process materials that can be used to derive material properties and test suitability for specific manufacturing processes.