The goal of this project is to build a semi-autonomous lunar mining robot for the 2022 NASA Lunabotics Competition. As NASA carries out the Artemis program, the Lunabotics robots act as prototypes for autonomous sample collection rovers for lunar exploration. The robot is designed to autonomously navigate rough terrain, mine icy regolith simulant, and deposit regolith into a collection sieve. At the conclusion of the project, the majority of the performance metrics were met by the robot. The social implication of this project allows for a growing number of students and future engineers to learn and apply systems engineering skills through the Lunabotics challenge, which prepares them for industries that rely on these principles.

• 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

• Hartman, Corinne
• Parker, Jacob
• Hou, Karen
• James, Tyreese
• Yurcak, Jacob
• Rossetti, Michael
• Jagdish, Nikita
• Ng, Nathan
• Grant, Peyton
• Chava, Manjusha
• Sheats, Julia
• McCarthy, Sarah
• Akinyele, Jesulona
• Sterrett, Thomas

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-032222-113935
• 52651

Keyword

• Lunar rover
• Robotics
• Autonomous navigation
• Systems engineering
• Robot Operating System (ROS)
• Mining robot

Advisor

• Cuneo, Joshua M.
• Doroz, Yarkin
• Stafford, Kenneth A.
• Smith, Therese Mary
• Towner, Walter Thomas
• Gonsalves, Edward Martins

Year

• 2022

Date created

• 2022-03-22

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Robotics Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Management Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright