In an attempt to better connect with the public and drive some new public interest in the waning Mars rover projects, NASA has taken some guidance from James Cameron and added a 3D Camera to the next Mars Rover named “Curiosity”. The original design actually included a 3D camera, but it was dropped back in 2007 for budget concerns.
“It’s a very ambitious mission. It’s a very exciting mission,” Cameron said. “(The scientists are) going to answer a lot of really important questions about the previous and potential future habitability of Mars.”
The camera will be capable of filming at 10fps, not very impressive by modern hardware standards. Given the lack of much motion on the surface of Mars and that the data stream must be compressed and transmitted over such a vast difference, 10fps is probably pretty good. Unfortunately, the camera is still in development and may not be ready in time for Curiosity, only time will tell.
