LIGO-Virgo-SWIFT Collaboration on the Emission of Gravitational Waves from Supernovas

In continuation of a two-year project, a team of 14 undergraduate engineering students completed design and fabrication of a simulated lunar vehicle for the 2015 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. The objective of the project was to give students hands-on engineering experience early in their undergraduate education. The project was divided into five subsystems, each completed using a collaborative team effort: structure, steering, drivetrain, suspension, and wheels, tires and axel. The structure design consists of a 6 x 2.5-foot rectangular chassis of aluminum tubing that is able to hinge at the middle per the competition requirements and endure up to 600 pounds of instantaneous load. In order to absorb the forces of the competition’s terrain, an independent suspension design was chosen to withstand 2.5 g. Additionally, Britek energy return wheels were chosen to meet the non-pneumatic and non-rubber requirements and aid in the suspension of the rover with the use of their spring-like tire design. The drivetrain consists of a free wheel and differential design to enable independent wheel rotation throughout the course. This design will enable our team to successfully compete with other top academic institutions in the world. Eagle Prize Award Poster Presentation and Demonstratio