Carleton students tested out the new micro-rover concept built from scratch at the university Sept. 16 on Petrie Island as part of a joint project with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
The project involves multiple Canadian universities, each in charge of constructing a piece of the final rover — to be put together in the next few weeks.
Alex Ellery, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Carleton and Canada research chair in space, robotics and space technology, has overseen the project for the last year and a half.
“Carleton has taken the lead role for the core robotics technology like the chassis and the autonomous navigation system,” Ellery said.
Although Sept. 16 was Carleton’s first test, it will be assembled at the CSA with the other components from other universities Sept. 20, he said.
“We’re running on a tight schedule, yes, but that’s because we’re running on the CSA schedule,” said Ala Qadi, project manager and post-doctoral aerospace engineering student.
“We would love to have it back to run more tests, but in the end it’s up to [the person who] pays the bill,” Ellery said. “We could pick up this already very smart equipment and make it even smarter.”
The test itself was an obstacle course, simulating the environment the rover might encounter on Mars and on the moon. It was divided in to segments: a plain sand course, a bumpy course with rocks half buried in the sand, a ramp with a 30 degrees inclination, and a small ditch.
The rover successfully aced all the tests, except the ramp, where it got stuck in the sand and was unable to get to the top.
“It would have been great if [the rover] had climbed to the top, but it’s like we told the space agency, 30 degrees is too much,” Ellery said.
The rover will never go to space in exploratory expeditions, instead serving as a basis for a second cycle of projects where the CSA might create and launch a final project.
Chris Nicol started working on the project when he was still an undergraduate aerospace engineering student, and came back to pursue a master’s on the subject.
“Carleton’s contribution is wrapping up with this testing, but hopefully CSA will see the value of this particular rover and Carleton will be involved in a next generation of it and hopefully eventually something is launched. That’s the dream of every space scientist and I would love to be working on that,” said master’s aerospace engineering student Chris Nicol, who has been involved with the project since his undergraduate degree in the subject at Carleton.
Carleton has the potential to develop future generations of the rover entirely, Ellery said, adding he will try to bring the future projects to Carleton.
“You have in front of you some of the best students in Canada, and yes, I think we can do it,” he said.
