Overview
- Perseverance executed AI-planned waypoint drives on Dec. 8 and Dec. 10, 2025, covering 210 meters and 246 meters in Jezero Crater.
- Generative vision-language models analyzed HiRISE orbital imagery and digital elevation data to identify terrain features and propose safe paths.
- Engineers validated the plans against more than 500,000 telemetry variables in JPL’s digital twin before uplinking commands to the rover.
- The demonstration was led from JPL’s Rover Operations Center in collaboration with Anthropic, whose Claude models produced the waypoint plans.
- Mission teams report reduced route-planning workload and are working to fold AI-assisted planning into routine operations with an eye toward kilometer-scale traverses.