Curiosity rover writes Morse Code of JPL everywhere it goes | John Graham-Cumming
►http://blog.jgc.org/2012/08/curiosity-rover-writes-morse-code-of.html
The Curiosity Rover than landed on Mars today has a neat feature in its wheels that allows it to spot if it gets stuck. The wheels have an asymmetric pattern of holes in them that leave a distinctive imprint on the surface of Mars. The rover views these marks with a camera to determine if it has traveled the distance it thinks it has. This ’visual odometry’ means that Curiosity can spot if it’s slipping or stuck and call home for help.