The goal of this project is to demonstrate the viability of a walking hexapod design as an alternative rover mobility method in the hopes of advancing research on more practical means of extraterrestrial exploration over difficult terrain. The polar regions of the Moon have become areas of great interest to scientists because they have not yet been explored and may provide valuable insight into the many scientific questions of the universe, including the survivability of life in space. However, because of its extreme temperature fluctuations, mountains, craters, permanently shadowed areas, and rough terrain, the Lunar poles are extremely harsh and difficult to explore, particularly with traditional four-wheeled rovers. NASA has been investigating new ways to explore these harsh terrains and more inaccessible regions on the Lunar surface through innovative mobility techniques. Our team aims to help expand this research by developing a 6-legged rover prototype to demonstrate the viability of this mobility method on the Lunar poles. We designed a proposed rover that can explore the Lunar terrain and constructed a simplified prototype to demonstrate the viability of the design as well as the control and navigational systems. The selected hexapod design provides the rover with enhanced rotational mobility and more stable positions. Ultimately, the team’s novel mobility rover aims to expand the research on alternative mobility rovers with the hopes of making Lunar, and eventually Martian, exploration in difficult terrains much easier.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Perez, Cristina
• Dahlquist, Alexa
• Gouveia, Michael
• Cobb, Benjamin
• Kuchenmeister, Joseph
• Henry, Roman
• Hamblett, Finnian

Subject

• Computing
• Learning
• Project-Based Learning
• Innovation
• Industry
• Environment

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-032124-164630
• 119094

Mot-clé

• Harsh Terrain
• Hexapod
• Prototype
• Space Exploration
• Lunar Poles
• Alternative Rover Mobility

Advisor

• Karanjgaokar, Nikhil

Year

• 2024

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Date created

• 2024-03-21

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Aerospace Engineering

Source

• E-project-032124-164630

Rights statement

• In Copyright