Mars Rover Trunnion Actuator
Each year at CIRC, there are multiple challenges geared towards using a robotic arm to perform dexterous tasks such as moving pipes to build water systems and servicing reactor panels with buttons and dials. In previous years the Mars Rover team has designed and built a variety of Rover-attached robotic arm/manipulator designs to be used at competition. We currently have a (built, but not yet tested under power) design for a 4-axis manipulator which we plan to use at CIRC in summer 2024. Before competition, we would like to add 1 or 2 additional precision rotary and/or linear axes of movement to the arm. This addition should integrate easily with the existing design but be semi-modular for independent testing and later integration with different subsystems. We are looking for a multidisciplinary team of Mechanical & Electrical engineers to help design, manufacture, and test this addition. The team will be given a portion of the Rover team budget for this project.
Objectives
Required Deliverables:
- Full CAD model of the design and basic renderings of it integrated with the rover/existing arm
- PCB design files, wiring diagrams, and source code for firmware
- Final electrical and mechanical design to be machined, assembled, and tested independently for basic functionality by the end of OSU Winter term (Spring term is reserved for rover integration and testing)
- Meets existing rover team design specs, including weight budgeting and size/form factor/ground clearance requirements
Stretch Goals:
- Integrated testing with rover and existing arm
- Continuous rotation on one rotary axis
Motivations
The Robotics Club at OSU is one of the largest student-run clubs at Oregon State University, comprising of nearly 200 members. The club has multiple teams including Drone Racing, Mars Rover, Underwater, VEX U, and Combat Robotics teams. The Mars Rover team is the largest of the robotics teams, has a multidisciplinary team of dedicated engineers, scientists and robotics enthusiasts committed to designing, building and operating a small-scale Mars Rover, which also competes annually at the Canadian International Rover Challenge (CIRC, see CIRC 2021 Competition Team in image below). The group is split into four subteams: Electrical, Mechanical, Science, and Software. Each subteam is responsible for designing, developing and implementing every component on the rover; from custom PCBs by Electrical, rocker bogies by Mechanical, insitu life detection by Science, to autonomous navigation by Software. The team helps members build valuable skills for industry through practical real-world experiences on multi-month projects.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Confidence and experience with Fusion 360 for CAD (Mechanical)
- Theoretical knowledge on how mechanical forces propagate through machines, bearings, materials (Mechanical)
- Experience with machining and 3D printing for rapid prototyping (Mechanical)
- Experience/interest in designing electrical systems for robotics/industrial automation/motor control (Electrical)
- Experience with PCB design, motor control, and firmware development (Electrical/Computer Science)
- Eager to learn and have fun building cool robots! (All)
- Experience with design for manufacture (DFM)
- Experience with CNC Machining (Milling and Turning)
- Experience with Altium
- Experience with control theory, feedback loops, and forward kinematics
Details
Project Partner:
Layne Clemen
NDA/IPA:No Agreement Required
Number Groups:1
Project Status:Accepting Applicants
