Team Interplanetar - BUET Mars Rover Team || ERC 2022 Onsite || Video Material

Summary

Team Inter Planner, an undergraduate group from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, presents its latest rover, Renaissance, for the European Rover Challenge 2022. The team comprises sub-teams focused on mechanical design, electronics, software, and science planning. They’ve redesigned the rover with enhanced suspension, optimized body housing, and a more efficient arm system for soil collection. The rover is equipped with advanced communication, navigation, and sensor technologies. Their efforts promote teamwork, hands-on experience, and international collaboration, while representing Bangladesh in a prestigious global competition.

Takeaways

• 😀 The team is called Inter Planner, an undergraduate student team from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), participating in the European Rover Challenge 2022.
• 😀 The team consists of four sub-teams: Mechanical, Electronics, Software, and Science Planning, each with a dedicated leader overseeing their respective areas.
• 😀 The rover, Renaissance, has been completely redesigned with a new chassis for better housing of electrical components and science payloads.
• 😀 The rover is equipped with a rocker-bogie suspension system, designed to keep the body balanced and protect electrical components during rough terrain traversal.
• 😀 The team uses a four-wheel configuration to reduce weight, with planetary gear DC motors integrated into each wheel to enhance durability on extreme terrains.
• 😀 The arm of the rover has six degrees of freedom, with DC motors and linear actuators for precise movements, including a 360-degree rotation and reach up to 900mm.
• 😀 A new two-claw linear gripper system is integrated into the rover's end effector, enabling it to perform tasks like flipping switches, taking measurements, and placing electromagnetic plates.
• 😀 Communication between the rover and the base station is facilitated by a 2.4 GHz communication link, ensuring non-line of sight operation over a distance of 1 km.
• 😀 The rover uses a RealSense depth camera and AirSim for obstacle detection, with an onboard Airway NX computer to process data and generate 3D maps of its surroundings.
• 😀 The rover's software integrates ROS with a custom user interface, enabling efficient operation and real-time feedback on sensor data and camera feeds for situational awareness.

Q & A

What is the main objective of the Team Inter Planner at the European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2022?

The main objective is to design and develop a rover named 'Renaissance' that can successfully navigate extreme terrain, perform scientific tasks, and demonstrate teamwork and innovation in an international competition setting.

How is Team Inter Planner organized?

The team is divided into four sub-teams: Mechanical, Electronics, Software, and Science Planning. Each sub-team has a dedicated leader, with a team lead overseeing the overall progress and collaboration.

What is the role of Nafis in the team?

Nafis is responsible for the mechanical design and assembly of the rover, ensuring the rover's structural integrity and functionality during extreme tasks.

What are the key improvements made to the rover's design this year?

Key improvements include a complete redesign of the chassis for better housing of electrical components and science payloads, a rocker-bogie suspension system for better stability, and the use of a four-wheel configuration to reduce weight while maintaining performance.

Why has the team opted for a four-wheel configuration instead of a six-wheel one?

The team chose a four-wheel configuration to reduce weight while still ensuring the rover's ability to traverse extreme terrains.

How does the rover’s arm function for scientific tasks?

The rover’s arm has six degrees of freedom and uses a DC motor with an epsilon gear system for 360-degree base rotation. Linear actuators enable it to reach up to 900mm from the ground to perform tasks like soil collection and probing.

What communication system is used to control the rover and monitor its progress?

The rover uses a 2.4 GHz communication link between the base station and the rover. The base station employs a 15 dBi sector antenna, and the rover uses an omnidirectional 13 dBA antenna to ensure communication over distances up to one kilometer.

What sensors are used for obstacle detection and navigation?

The rover uses a RealSense depth camera for obstacle awareness, as well as an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for navigation and mapping the environment in 3D.

How does the rover’s electrical system manage power?

The rover's electrical system uses lithium polymer batteries, with separate 24V and 12V power rails. The power consumption is continuously monitored, ensuring efficient power management across the rover's subsystems.

What science-related tasks will the rover perform at the ERC?

The rover will perform geological analysis by collecting soil samples, studying rocks, and probing the surface of Mars. It uses a scooper mechanism to collect soil and has a custom-designed probe container for carrying and deploying probes.