University Rover Challenge

• In 2024-25, the Buckeye Lunabotics Team also participated in The University Rover Challenge. This challenge requires teams to build a rover that must complete a series of manipulation tasks relevant to supporting crewed surface missions and scientific exploration. Starting in October, our team had to work under a tight schedule and delivered capable prototypes with clear direction for future seasons.

• My focus in URC was training new team members on using machine tools, guiding them through a systems engineering process and developing a kinematic model of a 5DOF robot arm.

• In 12 weeks, I designed and manufactured the rover’s mobility subsystem. This consisted of a rocker bogie suspension system paired with a skid-steer drivetrain. I was able to produce this sub-assembly more than 35% under our projected budget by reducing the number of motors and gearboxes from four to two while meeting system requirements and technical performance measures.


The completed mobility subsystem, with the electrical box from Gibbous, our Lunabotics robot, mounted on top. Note the tilt of the upper frame, we were waiting stock material and I made some temporary differential arms that are a bit short. The frame is nominally parallel to the ground.


A CAD screenshot of the mobility system without the electrical box.


Various cross sections of the drivetrain. I designed the whole mobility system around a set of parametric layout sketches for easy adjustment.


Here I was turning the ends of the 6061 center “cross” tube down to fit the suspension bushings and drive gear bearings. I made all machined parts for the mobility system on a manual mill and lathe with HSS tooling, definitely a learning curve after only using carbide!


In the previous image showing various cross sections, you can see one section of a drive belt tensioner. The core of the tensioner was a mild steel block with two inserted guide pins. Adjustable tensioners simplified assembling the “belt in tube” style rockers.


Various PET plastic spacers for the drive pods being printed. I liked the color of these parts.