A team of students from Missouri University of Science and Technology designed a prototype Mars rover that placed 10th out of 40 competitors in the European Rover Challenge (ERC). Missouri S&T’s Mars Rover Design Team was the only U.S. team to compete.
The ERC, held Sept. 5-6 in Podzamcze, Poland, is an international competition that challenges students to design, build and operate the next generation of Mars rovers.
Prior to the start of the competition, the students were required to submit a video presentation that explained the design and cost of their rover. Students also had to submit a detailed final expense report to competition judges. At the competition, the team competed in four active rover events.
The astronaut assistance task required teams to use the rover to collect lost tools left in the field and deliver them to multiple locations throughout the field.
The equipment-servicing task required the rover to repair a mock equipment system and included tasks like turning valves, pushing buttons and reading pressure gauges.
Reviewed 2015-09-10