Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 123 It was one giant leap for Carleton’s Planetary Robotics Team this past summer as they travelled to the 2016 United Kingdom University Rover Challenge in Manchester, hosted by the United Kingdom Mars Society. Nine Carleton undergraduate engineering students took part in the competition, securing a fourth place finish among teams from universities across the world, including entrants from the UK, Egypt, India and Poland. As part of the competition, the team’s self-designed, programmed and constructed rover was remotely piloted across specialized terrain intended to replicate conditions on Mars. The rover completed tasks such as navigating through gates and over obstacles and collecting soil samples for remote analysis. Having since returned home, fourth-year aerospace engineering student and team president Kelsey Doerksen explains how Carleton students enjoyed their experience and the enthusiasm of the other teams. “I think I can speak for all of the members that went to the UK in saying it really was a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget,” she says. “It was amazing to be able to meet other students that are equally as passionate and enthusiastic as our team and to be able to collaborate and learn from one another.” The full Planetary Robotics Team is comprised of thirty students from both the Faculty of Engineering and Design and the Faculty of Science. The entirely extra-curricular initiative, supervised by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Alex Ellery, is organized into sub-groups focused on rover-related areas such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software development and science. While Doerksen and her team did not take home the top prize, Carleton was commended by the competition’s organizers for their high level of enthusiasm throughout the event. “It was our first competition so we went there to try our best and learn as much as we could,” said Doerksen. “Being able to travel across the world to compete in a Mars robotics competition was something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, so I was definitely excited just to be a part of it.” This year the team intends to travel to the University Rover Challenge at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, and the European Rover Challenge in Podkarpackie, Poland. They’re also looking forward to returning to the United Kingdom University Rover Challenge in 2017. Since specific rules and regulations vary by competition, Doerksen and her team are headed back to the drawing board to modify their rover design. For their next competition in 2017, their unit will have to complete tasks such as autonomous traversal, tool retrieval and delivery, sample collection, analysis and storage, and equipment servicing. “Many components of our rover will be adapted for our upcoming competition,” says Doerksen. “We are going to be resizing the frame and changing our arm design, but one of our main focuses this year will be improving communications with the rover.” The team’s rover will also be utilizing a power and propulsion system that is applicable to operations on Mars. Since the Red Planet’s atmosphere is much thinner and has a different chemical make-up, any power sources that require air or rely upon Earth’s atmospheric composition to spark a chemical reaction must be adapted if they are to be used in competition. “The only way for our rover to use an internal combustion engine or certain types of fuel cells is to adjust these power sources to run as fixed-supply systems,” she explains. “Essentially, we’re recreating the conditions necessary for our power supply to function in a climate where it would normally be inoperable.” For those aspiring to join the team, Doerksen notes that you don’t have to be an engineering student to take part in a rover challenge. “It’s really open to everyone,” she explains. “A significant portion of the competitions are actually focused on geology, so we are always looking for more science students.” Those interested in supporting Carleton’s Planetary Robotics team in their upcoming competitions are encouraged to visit their sponsorship page at futurefunder.carleton.ca. An Out-of- This-World Experience