Dr Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu is a Fellow of the IEE (U.K. ) and a Senior Member of the IEEE (USA ). He was born in Accra,Ghana . He currently works on the Mars Exploration Rover Operations Team. He is a Member of the Integrated Sequencing Team (IST) as a Rover Planner (Rover Driver) responsible for Surface Mobility/Navigation Planning, IDD Planning, and Command Generation , and Member of the Spacecraft Rover Engineering Team (SRET), Mobility/IDD Subsystem (Both Spirit and Opportunity ). Pre-launch he worked as Flight Systems Test Engineer were he performed V&V on major functional capabilities of Mars Exploration Rover. These include Impact To Egress, Instrument Deployment Device (5 DOF robotic arm), Surface Operations Processes for driving the rover and operating the robotic arm, and Ground Data Tools used for traverse and robotic arm planning.

Member of the following teams on the Mars Exploration Rover Project

1. Mars Exploration Rover Avionics Integration and Test Team

2. Mars Exploration Rover Flight System Engineering Team

3. Mars Exploration Rover Project Operations Team

Phoenix Robotic Arm Integrated Sequence Team Member

Co-PI and JPL Task Manager
An Analytical Configuration Model for Modular Cooperative-repair Robot Teams Given Mission Constraints Sponsored by: NASA Intelligent Systems Project

Co-I Human supervision of remote robot teams:
PRoSPECT: telePresence Robotic System for Prospecting
and Exploitation of Crucial Terrain Sponsored by: NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate

Ph.D. in Control Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied
Science, Royal Military College Science, Cranfield University, U.K., 1996. Thesis: Robust Non-linear Control Designs Using Adaptive Fuzzy Systems

B.Eng. in Avionics, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Queen Mary College,
University of London, 1991. Dissertation: Review of 4-D guidance techniques and the simulation of 4-D aircraft guidance.

Research Scholar, Institute for Complex Research Engineered, Carnegie Mellon University , were he helped develop a system of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) for distributed tactical surveillance for DARPA.

Highly accomplished visionary Multidisciplinary Engineer with a broad background and extensive hands-on experience in Space Robotics Systems, Flight Systems Integration & Test, Planetary Rover Operations, System of Systems Design, Distributed Mobile Robotics, System Architectures, Dynamic Modeling, Control Systems design for Aerospace and Mechatronics Systems and Contract Technical Management.

Results-oriented, decisive leader with proven success in transitioning technology into flight, strategic thinking, and problem solving. Work effectively in a fast-paced environment and consistently prioritize tasks and meet deadlines. Excellent interpersonal skills, initiative, attention to detail, follow-through skills, with a reputation for dedication. Thrives in dynamic and fluid environments while remaining pragmatic and focused.


1999 to Present :
Mars Exploration Rover Mission (MER)

Member of Impact To Egress (ITE) Team ( both Spirit and Opportunity).

Member of the Spacecraft Rover Engineering Team (SRET), Mobility/IDD Subsystem (Both Spirit and Opportunity)

Member of the Integrated Sequencing Team (IST), Rover Planner (Rover Driver), Surface Mobility/Navigation Planning, IDD Planning, and Command Generation

Mission Ops Training
I organized a technical colloquium on the MER GDS MIPL pipeline. The goal of the colloquium is first, to understand the end to end GDS MIPL process. Second, to solicit technical feedback as to how best to optimize some of the pipeline parameters in the case when we encounter challenging terrains and the correlator fails.

Member of APSS User Acceptance Test Team for GDS Tools: I was responsible for performing APSS User Acceptance Test for RSVP Hyperdrive component for traverse planning.


Mars Exploration Rover (pre-launch): I serve as a IPS Test and Ops Engineer for the Mars Exploration Rover. I also wrote test plans and test procedures for the IDD and Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) and conducted testing of the flight vehicles at both JPL and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) during Assembly Testing Launch Operations (ATLO). I stowed the IDD on MER 2 for launch at KSC.

Planetary Rovers
Adjustable Autonomy
Mechatronics
System of Systems
Manipulation
Planetary Rover Operations
Multiple Mobile Robots
Reconfigurable Robots
Man-machine Interaction

1. NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal (2008) “For exceptional technical contributions to the Mars Exploration Rovers, providing comprehensive engineering support pre- and post-launch, including resolutions of rover anomalies.”
2. Sir Monty Finniston Achievement Medal (2007) for outstanding technical contribution to any field of Engineering from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Europe’s largest professional society for engineers. “For outstanding technical contribution to the NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers mission.”
3. Outstanding Engineer Award (2007), from IEEE Region 6 (12 states of the Western USA.), for exceptional technical leadership and ingenuity in diagnosing the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity robotic arm anomaly culminating in a successful resolution of the anomaly leading to the continuing successful exploration of the surface of Mars in the extended mission. Also for exceptional service to the IEEE as a Guest Editor in organizing and publishing a special issue of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine on Mars Exploration Rovers, June 2006
4. JPL Mariner Award from MER for outstanding leadership in the analysis and resolution of the IDD unstow anomaly on Opportunity rover, 2006.
5. NASA SPACE ACT AWARD, Inventions and Contributions Board Major Award, Mars Exploration Rover Ground Based Rover Localization, 2005
6. NASA SPACE ACT AWARD, Inventions and Contributions Board Major Award, Mars Rover Pair Cooperatively Grasping and Lifting a Long Payload, 2005
7. NASA SPACE ACT AWARD, Inventions and Contributions Board Major Award, Planetary Rover Absolute Heading Detection Using A Sun-Sensor, 2005
8. NASA-JPL MER Certificate of Recocognition for outstanding contribution to the success of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission May 6, 2004
9. JPL Lump Sum Merit Award, 2003
10. 2003 JPL SPOT Award for significant contribution to MER Spacecraft Rover Engineering Team (SRET)
11. 2003 JPL SPOT Award for significant contribution to MER IDD GDS Tools and Roles of SRET Team.
12. NASA Awards for Technical Innovation
1. Planetary Rover Absolute Heading Detection Using a Sun- Sensor" NPO-21182. April-2002 issue, page # 35
2. Advances in Cooperative Transport by Two Mobile Robots"NPO-30376. Aug-2002 issue, page #60
3. Further Advances in Cooperative Transport by Mobile Robots"NPO-30511. Oct-2002 issue, page #68
4. Minirovers as Test Beds for Robotic and Sensor-Web Concepts"NPO-30342. Nov-2002 issue, page #56
9. 1996 British Council Young Research Workers Grant

Team Awards
1. NASA Group Achievement Award: Mars Exploration Rover Avionics Team, May 25th 2004
2. NASA Group Achievement Award: Mars Exploration Rover Flight System, Management and Engineering Team, May 25th 2004
3. NASA Group Achievement Award: Mars Exploration Rover Project Operations Team, May 25th 2004
4. The Space Foundation , First, Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration to The MER Project.
5. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Certificate of Recognition. Presented To The Mars Exploration Program Mission Project Team, In recognition of technical excellence and outstanding team efforts in connection with the twin Mars Rovers  Spirit and Opportunity which enabled scientific advancements to the fields of aeronautics and astronautics, 21st April 2004.
6. Earth and Space Foundation, First Exploration Award to NASA-JPL Mars Exploration Rover Team
7. 2001 NASA Honor Award Group Achievement Award