LUNEX EMEC3 Raspbi Rover: A Compact Teleoperated Rover for VNIRSpectroscopy in Planetary Analogue Environments

Future lunar and Mars exploration missions will increasingly rely on compact rover systems capable of conducting remote geological investigations and in-situ spectral measurements under constrained operational conditions. Portable reflectance spectroscopy provides a practical approach for identifying mineralogical variations in planetary analogue terrains while also supporting the development of operational science workflows relevant to future

robotic exploration missions. Ground-based analogue testing therefore represents an important intermediate step for validating rover systems, science operations, and instrument integration before deployment in planetary environments. This work presents the LUNEX EMEC Raspbi Rover, a compact teleoperated rover platform integrating rover mobility, live imaging, and VNIR reflectance spectroscopy for analogue planetary surface investigations.

The rover platform is based on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ connected to an Arduino-controlled four-wheel drive system and operated remotely over WiFi using SSH communication. Rover mobility is provided through a compact tank-drive configuration designed for manoeuvrability on rough analogue terrain. Two imaging systems are used during rover operations, consisting of a Raspberry Pi Camera and a secondary USB webcam providing live visual feedback during navigation and target positioning. The system architecture allows rover teleoperation, camera streaming, and spectrometer acquisition to operate simultaneously using standard laptop hardware without the need for a dedicated ground station.

Spectral measurements are acquired using an Ocean Optics USB4000 fiber-optic spectrometer covering the 200–1000 nm wavelength range. Although the USB4000 is a commercially available spectrometer rather than a newly developed instrument, its compact size, low power consumption, USB-powered operation, and modular fiber-optic configuration make it suitable for lightweight rover-analogue deployments and educational planetary field campaigns. The objective of the present work is therefore not the development of a new spectrometer, but the integration of a low-cost spectroscopy workflow into a mobile analogue rover platform. Compared with larger and more expensive field spectroradiometers commonly used in planetary analogue studies, the system is intended as a compact and accessible platform for operational testing, student field activities, and early-stage instrument validation.

Spectral acquisition and processing are performed using SpectraLabPro, a Python-based graphical interface developed for SeaBreeze-compatible spectrometers. The software enables live spectrum visualization, dark correction, white-reference normalization, scan averaging, and export of reflectance spectra for offline analysis. Reflectance measurements are acquired after rover positioning at selected geological targets within the analogue

environment. Initial field testing was conducted at the DECOS MoonMars analogue simulation facility in Leiden, the Netherlands, which is designed to reproduce lunar and Martian terrain conditions for rover and instrument testing. The platform demonstrated stable rover teleoperation, reliable wireless operation, and successful integration of the spectrometer during analogue field activities. Current work focuses on the spectral characterization of

planetary analogue materials including basaltic rocks, olivine-bearing samples, and regolith simulants relevant to lunar and Martian exploration scenarios. While the USB4000 is limited to the VNIR range and does not cover the SWIR hydration bands commonly used for clay and sulfate identification, it remains suitable for investigating iron-bearing minerals, basaltic materials, and rover-based spectroscopy workflows in analogue environments.

This work contributes to ongoing EuroMoonMars analogue activities focused on the development and testing of integrated science and exploration systems for future human- robotic missions to the Moon and Mars.