A rover is more than just a machine – it’s humanity’s trusted explorer in the vast, unknown reaches of space. Built to bear the extreme environments of distant planets, moons, and asteroids, rovers can make us set our foot on worlds far beyond our reach.
From Past to Future
The journey of space exploration led by innovative means of transport began in the 1960s, with the Soviet Union’s Lunokhod 1 sent to the Moon in 1970. Lunokhod 1 is not properly considered to be a “modern rover” because it wasn’t able to perform long-term autonomous missions, since it was remotely controlled and its aim was to collect data in real-time. Notwithstanding this, it was a game-changer, demonstrating the potential for robotic exploration on other celestial bodies.
Fast forward to the 1990s, NASA’s Sojourner rover marked a new era by landing on Mars in 1997, and since then, rovers like Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity have revolutionized our understanding of the Red Planet. The most recent NASA’s rover was Perseverance, landed on Mars in February 2021. Its primary mission is to search for signs of ancient life and collect samples from the planet’s surface for future return missions. Its main aim is to analyze the Jezero Crater, which is believed to have once contained a lake. The rover’s findings could significantly advance our understanding of Mars not only for what concerns its potential for supporting life, but also in the use of new technologies, such as the Ingenuity helicopter, which is the first experimental aircraft to complete a powered flight on another planet.
These groundbreaking missions have helped us uncover the mysteries of Mars, and each new rover brings with it more advanced technology, pushing the boundaries of space exploration and paving the way for future discoveries.
Polispace [R]overTech
The RoverTech team lies at the core of our association, whose ambitious goal is to build a space Rover so as to participate in ERC (European Rover Challenge), a competition gathering team of students from all over the world with the passions for robotics and space exploration. The event is organized by the Polish Space Agency, supported by ESA, and hosted in Krakow each year. Through this competition, participants gain practical knowledge and insights into the engineering and scientific aspects of planetary exploration, while also building connections with industry professionals and space agencies.
Tasks
Like any competition worthy of its name, there are mandatory tasks to complete:
- Navigation: the demonstration of the system’s ability to autonomously move across challenging terrains, avoiding obstacles while reaching specific targets. It is necessary to develop a smart navigation strategy using sensors, cameras, and software to map the environment, plan paths, and make real-time decisions to explore and gather data safely and efficiently.
- Science & sample collection: the aim is to prepare and execute a simple science-driven exploration plan of the Mars yard, gathering materials from the surface.
- Maintenance: the team has to use the rover’s manipulating device to ensure that its systems remain operational by monitoring and repairing components; since rovers operate in harsh environments, it’s pivotal to prevent damage and cope with wear and tear to extend their mission life.
- Probing: the showcasing of the rover’s ability to swiftly collect scientific samples. It helps gather scientific data by directly interacting with rocks, soil or atmosphere, providing insights into the environment being explored.
The Team's Departements
The team is divided into the following departments:
SOFTWARE: here is where the magic happens, the members of this department give a “soul” to our rover so it can be fully autonomous, indeed this team is focused on writing from scratch the software that will control the whole system.
They are currently working on the creation of a digital twin and virtual environment, using Unreal Engine 5 and Matlab-Simulink, for rover simulation and generation of synthetic images for training models artificial intelligence. They are also putting effort in the implementation of communication through wi-fi antennas and the modification of control boards, so as to exclusively use Nvidia Jetson Orin and reduce the hardware complexity. They want to add a SQL database to manage data and improve the wheels’ contact pattern thanks to the technology of ray tracing.
EEPS, ELETRONICS: The Electronics department works on everything related with the inside of the Rover: batteries, engines, load distribution, cable management and so on. They have to understand the needs of the whole team providing the most suitable components.
Right now they are completing tests on LoRa antennas so as to value their range of communication, they are examining sensors and ultrasound to identify obstacles and optimise their integration into the system. A new algorithm has been identified for the selection of engines considering nominal and maximum couples and speeds required. The team is about to analyse the energy requirements of the rover sub-assemblies and develop the electrical power system (EPS).
STRUCTURES: The Structures department is focused on the research and development of innovative solutions to get the most efficient design accordingly to the limits imposed by the competition, in this way it is essential to perform FEM analysis on the CAD models.
This department is currently running tests on chassis, suspensions and wheels so as to optimize their structures. They are testing two new reduction systems, the epicycloidal and cycloidal ones, for the robotic arm of the rover. As long as the drill and its sampling system are concerned, the system has already been completed.
SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION: this is a new department that takes care of the mission planning, the documentation of the competition and the analysis of collected samples.
The team’s members will soon develop a spectroscopy for the samples analysis.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING: this team deals with the management of the complex systems in the rover and the planning of its full lifecycle.
The team takes care of multi-department system design aspects, as well as operations, requirements, integration and testing oversight. Risks and safety assessments are also part of the team’s duties.
Designing and operating rovers is both a challenge and an opportunity, which our team welcomed with enthusiasm and determination. As these machines venture into increasingly harsh and distant environments, they push the boundaries of robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. Every advancement in this technology brings us closer to a future where explorations of this magnitude play a key role in uncovering the mysteries of our universe one rover at a time.
“We, the dedicated members of [R]overTech, are united by a common mission: to excel in the field of robotics, engineering, and space exploration through innovative design, teamwork, and unwavering determination.”
