Perseverance's route was mapped with AI during a December drive.

An annotated HiRISE image compares the AI-planned and actual paths of NASA's Perseverance rover for an 807-foot (246-meter) drive on Dec. 10, 2025, the second of two demonstrations of generative AI in route planning.

An annotated HiRISE image shows the AI-planned route and the actual path taken by NASA's Perseverance rover during an 807-foot (246-meter) drive on Dec. 10, 2025, the mission's sol 1,709. The drive was the second of two demonstrations that showed generative artificial intelligence could be incorporated in the rover's route planning. The graphic was generated using Hyperdrive, part of the software suite used to plan rover drives and manage engineering data. JPL, managed by Caltech, built and operates Perseverance, and the University of Arizona operates HiRISE, which was built by BAE Systems. Key details: - The magenta lines show the path the rover's wheels would take following AI-processed waypoints, with magenta circles marking waypoints. - Orange lines depict the actual path taken, based on data downlinked after the drive. - Short bold blue segments at the start show portions of the route that were determined by mission rover drivers using imagery taken by the rover. - Pale green boxes mark "keep-in zones," which are surface areas where Perseverance's self-driving software is only allowed to pick routes. - The annotated image was produced from HiRISE imagery taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and rendered with mission planning tools. - Hyperdrive is part of the software suite used to plan rover drives and manage the influx of engineering data from Perseverance. Summary: These demonstrations illustrate a tested use of generative AI in Perseverance's onboard route planning and mission tools. Undetermined at this time.