1. Introduction to the University Rover Challenge

Author: Brandon Rice

Note: All photos on this page are © University Rover Challenge/The Mars Society, and can be found here.

The 2019 URC Finalist Teams at the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah

The main project that Sun Devil Robotics Club works on is building a mock Mars rover to compete in the annual University Rover Challenge. In this competition, universities from around the world compete to design, build, and program the rover that best fulfills each of four competition missions and is most impressive to a panel of judges. Typically, the four main missions that teams compete in are remain fundamentally the same from year to year; 2020's missions were:

1. Science Mission

Teams collect soil samples and, after analysis, must conclude if life is absent, extinct, or extant in the soil.

What are specific examples of software that need to be written for this task?

• Teleoperated rover chassis control
• Teleoperated drill control
• Teleoperated analysis machinery control
• Video feed capabilities
• Rover-base communications

2. Extreme Retrieval and Delivery Mission

Teams will navigate over a variety of terrain types to pick up an object and deliver it to a designated area.

What are specific examples of software that need to be written for this task?

• Teleoperated rover chassis control
• Teleoperated arm control
• Video feed capabilities
• Rover-base communications

3. Equipment Servicing Mission

Teams will interface with an equipment panel of a mock Mars lander or base, such as flipping switches, tightening bolts, or typing on a keyboard.

What are specific examples of software that need to be written for this task?

• Teleoperated rover chassis control
• Teleoperated arm control
• Video feed capabilities
• Rover-base communications

4. Autonomous Navigation Mission

Teams will make their rovers drive autonomously (without direct control) over a large area, searching for waypoint gates to pass through.

What are specific examples of software that need to be written for this task?

• Autonomous rover chassis control
• Sensor feedback (GPS, IMU, LIDAR, etc.)
• Video feed capabilities
• Image processing and detection
• Rover-base communications

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For more information about the University Rover Challenge, including the official rules, please see their website: urc.marssociety.org