Vandi Verma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr.
Vandi Verma
|
|
|---|---|
Verma in 2024
|
|
| Born |
Vandana Verma
|
| Other names | Vandi Verma Tompkins |
| Education | Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Halwara |
| Alma mater | Punjab Engineering College Carnegie Mellon University |
| Known for | Mars Exploration Rovers Mars Science Laboratory PLEXIL |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous robotic systems |
| Institutions | NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Thesis | [thesis Tractable Particle Filters for Robot Fault Diagnosis] (2005) |
Vandana "Vandi" Verma is a robot expert for space. She is a chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Vandi is famous for driving the Mars rovers. These include Curiosity and Perseverance. She helped create the special software called PLEXIL that the rovers use.
Contents
About Vandi Verma
Vandi Verma was born in Halwara, India. Her father was a pilot in the Indian Air Force. She studied electrical engineering in India. Later, she moved to the United States.
Her Education and Early Work
Vandi earned a master's degree in robotics. She also got a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. During her studies, she became very interested in robots that work in unknown places.
She worked on a project in the Atacama Desert. This desert is very dry, like the surface of Mars. She tested robots there. She also tested robot technology in the Arctic and Antarctic. Before starting her first job, she even got her pilot's license!
Her first job after college was at Ames Research Center. She worked there as a research scientist.
Creating PLEXIL Software
In 2006, Vandi helped create PLEXIL. This is a special computer language. It helps machines work on their own. PLEXIL is used in many NASA projects. It helps control the Mars Curiosity rover's drill. It is also used on the International Space Station.
Joining NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
In 2007, Vandi joined NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She focused on robots and flight software. By 2008, she was part of the Mars rover team. As of 2019, she leads a group at JPL. This group works on smart systems and robots.
Vandi has written many papers about her work. She writes about how robots can explore on their own. She also writes about how to find problems with robots.
She helped develop software for the Mars 2020 rover. This software helps the rover fly and explore.
Vandi often talks to kids at JPL events. She wants to inspire children, especially girls, to work in STEM fields.
Driving Robots on Mars
MER team members testing the Spirit rover.
|
.jpg)
Vandi has worked on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover projects since 2008. She has driven all three rovers: Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity.
Living on Mars Time
To drive the rovers, the team has to follow the Mars day. A Mars day, called a sol, is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. This means the team starts work 40 minutes later each Earth day. Vandi says they often "live by the Mars clock." They even cover their windows to make it feel like Mars time.
How Rovers are Driven
Driving a Mars rover is very slow. Commands take 4 to 20 minutes to reach Mars. So, the team first tests all commands in a computer simulation. Then, they send many commands at once. They use NASA's Deep Space Network to send signals.
Driving a rover is a big team effort. Scientists work together on different experiments. First, they look at 3D pictures from Mars. Then, they plan a safe path for the rover. They make sure the rover can explore as much as possible. They also plan how the rover's robotic arm will move. Every step is carefully planned and simulated.
Vandi said in 2012 that she has "one of the coolest jobs in the world."
Awards and Recognition
Vandi Verma has won many awards with her teams. Some of these include:
- 2008 NASA Earth Science team award
- 2010 NASA Honors award for the MER team
- 2013 NASA Honors Award for the MSL Motor Control Team
- 2014 NASA Software of the Year Award for the Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software Team
Vandi in Media
Vandi Verma has appeared in several films and shows:
- In 2011, she was in an episode of Nova ScienceNow called Can We Make It to Mars?.
- She was in a US Air Force documentary series called Science in the Extremes.
- In 2018, a Finnish film called The Other Side of Mars was made about her. It showed her work with the Curiosity rover.
- In 2022, Vandi appeared in Good Night Oppy. This film told the story of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
See also
In Spanish: Vandi Verma para niños
- Adam Steltzner
- Anita Sengupta
- Bobak Ferdowsi
- List of missions to Mars
