China Mars Exploration Project (中国火星探测工程)

Solution

Baidu AI Cloud and the China Mars Exploration Project created a digital-human version of the Zhurong rover to turn aerospace outreach into a live interactive experience. The solution combines 4D scanning, high-fidelity 3D character production, lightweight neural-network driving, and multimodal AI for speech and language. In practice, the digital human can move, blush, flap its 'wings,' describe its instruments, and respond to audience questions during public events. Under the hood, Baidu's system binds scanned training data to 3D models, then uses machine learning to drive expressions and lip movements in real time with low latency. The same stack also mixes prebuilt expressions with AI-generated animation and supports multiple input modes, including text, voice, RGB camera facial control, and depth-camera capture. That gives the Mars program a reusable digital-human channel for science communication that feels more like conversation than scripted video playback.

Data flow

Visual and motion data captured through 4D scanning is bound to the Zhurong digital-human model, where neural-network driving predicts expression and lip movement. Text, speech, or camera-driven input then triggers the platform's multimodal language stack, and the resulting animation and responses are rendered back to live audiences in real time.