ENGS 76 | Mars Rover

September – November 2023

Through an ethos of simplicity, early prototyping, failing fast, and iterative improvements, my team designed the winning rover of the ENGS 76 Machine Engineering Rover Competition — our design was the only one to meet 100% of the design specifications and project challenges among seven competitors.

We used FRDPARRC tables to organize our project requirements and design concepts, and prioritized maneuverability, traction, and reliable gripping for our rover design. Thinking outside of the box, our team designed a retractable drawbridge platform to bring our rover on and off the cliff feature, which was an unprecedented and highly successful tactic.

I worked on:

• creating original CAD parts, assemblies, and drawings for the rover, applying GD&T principles
• 3D printing, laser cutting, machining, and assembling components
• calculations for the optimal gear train of our vehicle
• lightweighting the design
• material selection
• calculating tipping points and center of mass to optimize wheel size and placement
• testing

Project Briefing

Reference: Prof. Hilary Johnson (contact me for contact info)