Initial commit: project plan and roadmap

Mars Rover VR Project — 5-phase plan from panorama stitching
to immersive VR on Meta Quest 3.

Phases:
1. Image Collection & Database (complete)
2. Panorama Stitching Pipeline (in progress)
3. Equirectangular/Spherical Output
4. 3D Assets (rover model + photogrammetry terrain)
5. VR Application (Meta Quest 3)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# Mars Rover — Immersive VR Experience
+
+Explore Mars through the eyes of NASA's rovers in virtual reality.
+
+This project creates immersive VR experiences from real Mars rover data: 360° panoramas, 3D rover models, and photogrammetric terrain, viewable on Meta Quest 3.
+
+## Project Repositories
+
+| Repository | Purpose | Status |
+|-----------|---------|--------|
+| [mars-panorama-pipeline](https://git.dupre-garnier.ca/git_admin/mars-panorama-pipeline) | Automated panorama stitching (Docker + Hugin) | Active |
+| mars-rover (this repo) | Project documentation, planning, VR app | Active |
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+Mars Rover Data (NASA API)
+    |
+    v
+[Phase 1] Image Collection & Database
+    |  - NASA Mars Rover Photos API (Perseverance, Curiosity)
+    |  - MySQL database (photos metadata, mast_az/el positioning)
+    |  - Automated weekly collection (cron)
+    |
+    v
+[Phase 2] Panorama Stitching Pipeline  -->  mars-panorama-pipeline repo
+    |  - Docker container (Hugin CLI + Python + OpenCV)
+    |  - CLAHE preprocessing for feature matching
+    |  - Incremental assembly for large panoramas (80+ images)
+    |  - NavCam (enblend) + Mastcam-Z (verdandi) blending
+    |
+    v
+[Phase 3] Equirectangular Projection
+    |  - 360° spherical panorama output
+    |  - HDR processing for VR
+    |  - Multiple resolution tiers
+    |
+    v
+[Phase 4] 3D Assets
+    |  - Rover 3D model (GLB format, NASA CAD data)
+    |  - Photogrammetric terrain mesh (Meshroom)
+    |  - Texture mapping from rover images
+    |
+    v
+[Phase 5] VR Application
+    - Meta Quest 3 native app (Android/OpenXR)
+    - Spherical environment from panorama
+    - 3D rover model at scene center
+    - Photogrammetric terrain for near-field
+    - Free movement around rover
+```
+
+## Data Sources
+
+| Source | Type | Volume |
+|--------|------|--------|
+| NASA Mars Rover Photos API | Images + metadata | 818K+ Curiosity, 365K+ Perseverance |
+| NASA PDS (Planetary Data System) | Raw science data + XML | ~807 GB |
+| NASA 3D Models | Rover GLB/USDZ | 12 MB (Perseverance) |
+
+## Infrastructure
+
+| Machine | Role | Specs |
+|---------|------|-------|
+| Homelab (192.168.1.42) | Database, Docker, NAS, Git | i7-6700T, 32GB, Debian 13 |
+| AstroLab (192.168.1.250) | GPU processing, VR dev, Hugin UI | Ryzen 7 7735HS, 29GB, Win11 |
+| NAS (/mnt/astro) | Image storage | 4 TB USB |
+
+## Quick Start
+
+```bash
+# Clone
+git clone https://git.dupre-garnier.ca/git_admin/mars-rover.git
+
+# Generate a panorama (Docker)
+docker run --rm \
+  -v /mnt/astro/mars_rovers:/data \
+  -v /mnt/astro/mars_rovers/images/panorama/perseverance:/output \
+  mars-panorama-pipeline \
+  --sol 1813 --camera NAVCAM_LEFT
+```