Belfast engineering students head to Florida for Nasa lunar robotics challenge

Ten students from Queen's University Belfast are traveling to Florida to compete in a Nasa lunabotics competition.

The Robot and Design

The team built a 52 kg aluminum frame robot rover to test how it handles future moon missions. The students split into three groups focusing on software, electronics, and mechanical systems. The robot must autonomously drive across a lunar-simulated room, dig up sand acting as lunar material, and build a wall with it. Jamie Smith, a third-year electrical and electronic engineering student and software lead, said the team built rover simulations to test their software. Jack Fitzpatrick, a mechanical engineering PhD student, noted the mechanical team ensured the rover is strong enough to survive the environment and has enough traction.

The Competition Path

The QUB team secured their spot at the international event after winning a prior competition in Milton Keynes. They will now compete at the University of Central Florida against university teams from Australia, India, and the US. Jack stated that being the only European team at the event offers a chance to represent Northern Ireland, the UK, and Europe abroad.

Context

Lunabotics challenges university students to apply systems engineering processes to design and operate lunar robots. The competition aims to explore technologies that could help build habitats for humans on the moon.