Space Rover Updates

The RCSP Space Rover is a little robotic moon buggy which will range the lunar landscape. This diminutive lunar land rover's performance is critical to winning the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Four teams are working to ensure the space rover will fulfill its mission on the Moon by tackling a wide range of rover mission challenges. Each development team has a unique area of focus. Whether the challenge is how to steer the 4-wheel-drive rover, how to send back rover pictures, how to communicate with the lunar rover from Earth or how to keep the rover from overheating, each of the RCSP lunar rover design teams is attacking the challenge with enthusiasm and hard work.

Rover Design, Development, and Testing Updates

March 2011 - Andrews ANT Rover Configuration Updated Rover Team: Andrews Space and University of Washington
	System Level Status Andrews ANT rover configuration updated to accommodate operations in the lunar equatorial region New solar panel configuration System power balance updates System power analysis updates
March 2011 - Drivetrain Test Bed - Learn More Rover Team: Andrews Space and University of Washington
	Prototype / Demonstration Status: Drivetrain test bed complete Differential steering like a tank Can rapidly test different wheel configurations
March 2011 - Andrews ANT Rover Drive Control, Imager, and Flight Computer Rover Team: Andrews Space and University of Washington
	Subsystem Status Drive control electronics programming nearly complete Imager prototype Flight computer design work completed and a prototype in fabrication
March 2011 - Space Rover Software Development - Learn More Rover Team: UAHuntsville - Computer Engineering
	Using a COTS platform for the rover and focusing primarily on developing the software for autonomous operation or support for remote control of the rover. The team is experimenting with different aspects of computer vision, situational awareness for the rover, and ways to provide feedback to the operator.
March 2011 - Modular Design Strategy and Improved Mechanics Rover Team: Huntsville Center for Technology - Computer Electronics Technology
	Rover Rapid Prototype 2 Portable electronics board Better turning mechanics Room for expansion Ready for new hardware to arrive
March 2011 - Exploring Alternate Designs for Space Rover Rover Team: UAHuntsville - Center for System Studies
	Traction control for a tracked rover on rough terrain Design of a leg-wheeled rover suitable for climbing rough terrain Low-level control strategies for leg-wheeled rover Control strategies for both tethered and wireless control of the rover Vision-based path tracking system
March 2011 - Lunar Terrain Simulation Test Bed for Rover Testing Rover Team: Huntsville Center for Technology - Computer Electronics Technology
	The students at Huntsville Center for Technology are building a lunar terrain test bed to test the full scale lander and rover prototypes. The students have analyzed the topography of the Apollo 12 landing site to design a test environment that has representative slopes, rocks and lighting conditions of the lunar surface.
January 2011 - Space Rover Rapid Prototype - Learn More Rover Team: Huntsville Center for Technology - Computer Electronics Technology
	Rover Rapid Prototype HCT students built a rapid prototype rover with off-the-shelf hobby robotics parts to quickly test new ideas for the lunar rover.
September 2010 - Polar Lunar Rover Design Concept Rover Team: Andrews Space and University of Washington
	The initial lunar rover design had vertical solar panels to better catch the sun from the polar region of the Moon.

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OTHER PAGES ABOUT SPACE ROVER

Rover Design Teams

The Rocket City Space Pioneer Lunar Rover Design teams are building and testing the next generation of robotic lunar rovers to win the Google Lunar X PRIZE and conquer new challenges beyond the X PRIZE competition. University and high school students are working side-by-side with aerospace engineers to put their mark on engineering the space exploration vehicles of the future.

HCT Rover Update Rev3

The students at the Huntsville Center for Technology have begun work on the third version of their rover platform. This platform is a large upgrade from previous versions because it uses much stronger motors and longer lasting batteries.

Drivetrain Test Bed Rover

The latest Drivetrain Test Bed Rover developed by Andrews Space and University of Washington students demonstrates that the Rocket City Space Pioneers (RCSP) lunar rover tasks are literally moving very quickly. This lunar rover prototype steers like a tank and can be remotely driven with a radio controller.

Rover Software Development

Rover software development is a focus area for The University of Alabama Huntsville (UAHuntsville) Computer Engineering team. Using an off-the-shelf commercial rover called Corobot lets them focus on the software aspects of the rover without having to worry about the hardware.

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Size, Weight and Locomotion

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Size, Weight and Locomotion - Building a robotic rover that can operate on the lunar surface is a complex process. It has to survive tremendous temperature variations, it will be exposed to many kinds of radiation, it has to be very light, it has to be strong enough to climb over rocks and out of craters, it cannot tip over, it must be very reliable, and it needs to carry or generate its own electrical power.

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Sensors and Communications

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Sensors & Communications - Part of the Google Lunar X Prize mission objectives is to take still pictures and video from the moon. Therefore, we have a camera that is capable of taking high definition video and pictures and sending them back to Earth. Additional cameras could be useful for backup purposes and for seeing in multiple directions simultaneously.

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Environmental Issues

Lunar Rover Design Challenges - Environmental Issues - The temperature on the moon varies roughly from -400°F (-240°C) at night to 250°F (121°C) during the day. Our rover will have to survive in these extreme conditions in order to fulfill its mission. Electronics can only operate within certain temperature ranges.

Lunar Rover Simulator

The RCSP lunar rover software development team is using the open source software tools Blender, Ogre3D, and Bullet Physics to develop this lunar rover simulator. Bullet Physics will be used for simulating the locomotion of the rover and its interactions with the lunar landscape. Blender is used to create 3D models of the rover and moon. Ogre3D is used to render and display the simulation.