3D Lunar Surface Modeling Using Chandrayaan-2 TMC DEM Data

This work focuses on developing a high-fidelity 3D lunar surface modeling system using Chandrayaan-2 TMC DEM data, addressing critical limitations in existing ROS simulators for planetary rover mission planning and autonomous navigation research.

Competition: AI for Space and Geospatial Innovation (ISRO Immersion Startup-Challenge)
Result: Finalist (2024)

This work is currently in development and I am actively seeking collaboration opportunities.

Project Overview

This research introduces a novel planetary simulation framework that leverages Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite technology to create photorealistic lunar environments from authentic ISRO satellite datasets, enabling comprehensive testing of rover navigation algorithms before deployment.

Key Components

• Chandrayaan-2 TMC DEM Integration: Direct import and processing of high-resolution Digital Elevation Model data from India’s lunar mission, providing authentic terrain geometry for simulation environments.

• Nanite-Powered Terrain Rendering: Revolutionary virtualized geometry system enabling efficient large-world rendering and seamless loading of massive planetary surface datasets without traditional polygon limitations.

• Advanced Material Systems: Sophisticated surface property simulation incorporating lunar regolith characteristics, lighting conditions, and photometric properties for realistic computer vision algorithm testing.

Technical Innovation

The project addresses fundamental scalability issues in current open-source simulators (AirSim, CARLA) that lack optimization for planetary-scale datasets and utilize outdated UE4 engines. By leveraging UE5’s cutting-edge rendering pipeline, the system achieves unprecedented fidelity while maintaining computational efficiency.

Current Development Status

• Successfully implemented Chandrayaan-2 DEM data import pipeline
• Developed high-fidelity surface reconstruction algorithms
• Optimized rendering system for large-scale planetary environments
• Established foundation for future ROS integration and SLAM capabilities

Expected Contributions

• First comprehensive UE5-based lunar simulation environment using authentic ISRO data
• Novel DEM-to-mesh conversion algorithms optimized for planetary terrain
• Scalable framework for multi-mission planetary surface modeling
• Open-source toolkit for planetary robotics research community

Collaboration Opportunities

I am actively seeking collaboration with:

• Planetary robotics researchers for algorithm validation
• Space agencies for real-world mission scenario testing
• Academic institutions for joint research publications
• Industry partners for commercial applications