A Practical Framework of Key Performance Indicators for Multi-Robot Lunar and Planetary Field Tests

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Richter, Julia, Oberacker, David, Ligeza, Gabriela, Bickel, Valentin T., Arm, Philip, Talbot, William, Besselmann, Marvin Grosse, Kehl, Florian, Schnell, Tristan, Kolvenbach, Hendrik, Dillmann, Rüdiger, Roennau, Arne, Hutter, Marco
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Richter, Julia
Oberacker, David
Ligeza, Gabriela
Bickel, Valentin T.
Arm, Philip
Talbot, William
Besselmann, Marvin Grosse
Kehl, Florian
Schnell, Tristan
Kolvenbach, Hendrik
Dillmann, Rüdiger
Roennau, Arne
Hutter, Marco
author_facet Richter, Julia
Oberacker, David
Ligeza, Gabriela
Bickel, Valentin T.
Arm, Philip
Talbot, William
Besselmann, Marvin Grosse
Kehl, Florian
Schnell, Tristan
Kolvenbach, Hendrik
Dillmann, Rüdiger
Roennau, Arne
Hutter, Marco
contents Robotic prospecting for critical resources on the Moon, such as ilmenite, rare earth elements, and water ice, requires robust exploration methods given the diverse terrain and harsh environmental conditions. Although numerous analog field trials address these goals, comparing their results remains challenging because of differences in robot platforms and experimental setups. These missions typically assess performance using selected, scenario-specific engineering metrics that fail to establish a clear link between field performance and science-driven objectives. In this paper, we address this gap by deriving a structured framework of KPI from three realistic multi-robot lunar scenarios reflecting scientific objectives and operational constraints. Our framework emphasizes scenario-dependent priorities in efficiency, robustness, and precision, and is explicitly designed for practical applicability in field deployments. We validated the framework in a multi-robot field test and found it practical and easy to apply for efficiency- and robustness-related KPI, whereas precision-oriented KPI require reliable ground-truth data that is not always feasible to obtain in outdoor analog environments. Overall, we propose this framework as a common evaluation standard enabling consistent, goal-oriented comparison of multi-robot field trials and supporting systematic development of robotic systems for future planetary exploration.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_20529
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Practical Framework of Key Performance Indicators for Multi-Robot Lunar and Planetary Field Tests
Richter, Julia
Oberacker, David
Ligeza, Gabriela
Bickel, Valentin T.
Arm, Philip
Talbot, William
Besselmann, Marvin Grosse
Kehl, Florian
Schnell, Tristan
Kolvenbach, Hendrik
Dillmann, Rüdiger
Roennau, Arne
Hutter, Marco
Robotics
Multiagent Systems
Robotic prospecting for critical resources on the Moon, such as ilmenite, rare earth elements, and water ice, requires robust exploration methods given the diverse terrain and harsh environmental conditions. Although numerous analog field trials address these goals, comparing their results remains challenging because of differences in robot platforms and experimental setups. These missions typically assess performance using selected, scenario-specific engineering metrics that fail to establish a clear link between field performance and science-driven objectives. In this paper, we address this gap by deriving a structured framework of KPI from three realistic multi-robot lunar scenarios reflecting scientific objectives and operational constraints. Our framework emphasizes scenario-dependent priorities in efficiency, robustness, and precision, and is explicitly designed for practical applicability in field deployments. We validated the framework in a multi-robot field test and found it practical and easy to apply for efficiency- and robustness-related KPI, whereas precision-oriented KPI require reliable ground-truth data that is not always feasible to obtain in outdoor analog environments. Overall, we propose this framework as a common evaluation standard enabling consistent, goal-oriented comparison of multi-robot field trials and supporting systematic development of robotic systems for future planetary exploration.
title A Practical Framework of Key Performance Indicators for Multi-Robot Lunar and Planetary Field Tests
topic Robotics
Multiagent Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.20529