NASA Martian Surface Mining: Most effective method of digging and collecting regolith in under 10 minutes.

Kent State Robotics has been preparing for its first attempt at the NASA Robotic Mining Competition. The objective of the competition is to design, build, and control a robotic mining rover to collect a simulated Martian surface called BP-1. The team is judged in several different areas, including the mass of the robot, dust proof designs, automation, mass of Bp-1 collected, mass of “ice” simulant collected, an outreach program, and a systems engineering paper. During the design process, multiple methods of mining were investigated. A scooping design was chosen for its simplicity and low mass. Components for the frame, drivetrain and wheels were chosen to maximize maneuverability on the simulated Martian surface. A practice pit was constructed and filled with basalt rock of similar material buildup to allow for the rover to be tested. Methods for operating autonomously were explored, including techniques for orienting the robot and navigating terrain.