CHONDROBOT-2 - A simple, efficient semit-autonomous tele-robotic lunar excavator

CHONDROBOT-2 at 2012 Lunabotics Mining Competition, May 2012. The BRAC University team qualified for the competition with the only vehicle made entirely of recycled materials.

Rhaman, et al
School of Engineering and Computer Science
BRAC University
Dhaka, Bangladesh

A simple, light-weight and efficient excavation system to excavate and collect lunar regolith has been developed at BRAC university. The excavation system has a dimension of 1.21m × 0.66m × 0.74m with a total weight of 65 kg. 

This four wheel drive robot consists of a bucket-ladder system for excavation and is capable of collecting 8 kg of regolith per minute, and it also includes a collector bucket which can contain 18 kg of regolith to deposit a bin installed at 50 cm height. The excavation hardware can be operated both manually and remotely through a web browser without direct visual and auditory access to the hardware. A KINECT sensor, based semi-auto navigation, is incorporated to avoid obstacles while in motion.

Space exploration has gained considerable importance among the scientific community as it is key to unlimited resources beyond Earth. Sustainable exploration over a long period of time requires in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), the means to produce water, oxygen, hydrogen and some other consumables from materials available on other planetary bodies. NASA is promoting development of mining equipment that is light-weight and efficient to collect and handle regolith on the Moon, Mars, asteroids and comets, etc. With this objective, and also to promote interest in Space Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering (STEM) fields, NASA has been arranging the yearly Lunabotics Mining Competition since 2010, a place where students at undergraduate or graduate levels from all over the world can take part in the design and operation of excavator systems for use on the Moon.

This paper describes the successful design and construction of an excavator system within specifications developed by NASA. The excavator system design is simple, light-weight, efficient and cheap because it is constructed fully using locally available materials. CHONDROBOT-2 is the 2nd version of CHONDROBOT, and relevant literature is reviewed as it relates to the development of each part of this tele-robotic lunar excavator.

Read the paper (pdf), HERE.

UNH 'LunaCats' prowl space, children's museum

UNH student Jaron Peters (right) helps Eko Cronin-
Deausealt, 5, drive a lunar robot at the Children's
Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, Monday, Feb. 20
[EJ Hersom/Fosters Daily Democrat].

Andrea Bulfinch
Fosters Daily Democrat
   
Dover, New Hampshire: Children were treated to an out-of-this-world engineering experience by members of the University of New Hampshire lunar robotics team, LunaCats, who demonstrated one of their creations at the Dover Childrens Museum.

The LunaCats design and build robotic excavators intended to mine lunar soil for a NASA competition. This year's team is comprised of seniors in the mechanical engineering, computer sciences, and computer engineering majors. As part of the competition, NASA mandates each team create an outreach program, benefiting the local community and the demonstration at the children's museum was part of that.

"I think the best part is that it's hands-on," Camille Poulin, student, said as she stood Monday afternoon surrounded by parents, children and her peers all watching as youngsters took turns operating the machine, the end result of a yearlong project.

The first half of the school year consists of designing and analyzing the excavator. The second half is dedicated to building and testing the machine.

Students brought last year's model to the museum on Monday and said they are completely redesigning the bot for 2012.

The seven students fund raise to both create the excavator and enter the competition, coordinating everything from funding, to the initial design, to travel to compete. They'll also complete a systems engineering paper and a presentation before NASA officials. The winning team will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship.

Sixty teams from around the world compete on May 21 through 26 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Last year, the 2010-2011 UNH LunaCats team was the first team from UNH to compete in the NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition. The team was unable to finish the competition due to an unforeseen mechanical failure involving the drive train, which caused limited mobility.

The LunaCats design and build robotic excavators intended to mine lunar soil for a NASA competition. This year's team is comprised of seniors in the mechanical engineering, computer sciences, and computer engineering majors. As part of the competition, NASA mandates each team create an outreach program, benefiting the local community and the demonstration at the children's museum was part of that.

Read the full article HERE.

Lunabotics Mining Competition @ KSC

The purpose of the Lunabotics Mining Competition is to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, in a competitive environment that may result in innovative ideas and solutions, which could be applied to actual lunar excavation for NASA.

Eligibility
Undergraduate and graduate student teams enrolled in a U.S. college or university are eligible to enter the inaugural Lunabotics Mining Competition.

Design teams must include:

• One faculty or industry advisor with a college or university affiliation
  
• Two or more undergraduate or graduate students

A group of universities also may work in collaboration on an excavator project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. Collaborations between majority institutions and minority serving institutions are encouraged. Corporate sponsorship is allowed. Get information on available excavator project funding by NASA

NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
Higher Education Project
in partnership with the
National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program
is proud to announce the inaugural
Lunabotics Mining Competition
May 25-28, 2010
Astronaut Hall of Fame
Kennedy Space Center, Florida

NASA KSC Posting, HERE.