Real-time event-based sensor simulation for space applications

Vision-based framing sensors are well-established in the space community as a critical component of guidance, navigation and control systems for autonomous spacecraft control and landing. Event based sensors detect changes in pixel intensity levels, so output an synchronous stream of pixel events. Their unique properties have some advantages for space mission scenarios and navigation applications. To support developments in this area, we describe how an established real-time frame-based sensor simulator (PANGU) is being extended to simulate event-based data from logarithmic sensors for a variety of space applications, and how the simulated data can be evaluated with respect to standard event-based calibration tools.