Packages of Circuitry for Controlling a Robotic Vehicle

Proposed packages called "remote engineering units" (REUs) would contain all the electronic circuitry needed to implement a subset of the design of the motor-control system of a robot. The REUs were conceived, specifically, for incorporation into small robotic vehicles (the Mars '03/05 Athena Rovers) to be used in exploring the surface of Mars. Some of the characteristics that make REUs attractive in the Mars Rover applications may also make them attractive for terrestrial robotic applications. These characteristics include modularity, amenability to a distributed motor-control architecture, and adaptability of both design and function.