Roverpede

As a student at the Victor Valley College interested in studying Computer Engineering, I was offered an opportunity to be a part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS | NASA) during Fall 2019. Through NCAS, I had learned about many great research developments within NASA, from the International Space Station to Mars Rover, to the Solar System. For the final research project as an NCAS Scholar, I decided to redesign the Mars Rover with new and improved functionalities and specializations.

My version of the Mars Rover, Roverpede, is a six-limbed rover built to be as resilient as a centipede while on the Martian environment. Roverpede's unique characteristic is its ability to transform into forms that best fit the scenario. Its primary form: to travel on various terrains of different compositions using either wheels or grappling talons (sand, sharp rocks, uneven surface, incline hill, etc); its second form: to turn into a box, maintain insulation and minimize exterior damage during sandstorms. Additionally, Roverpede also stores two sources of energy (solar energy, radioisotope thermoelectric generator) which allows it to reserve energy, perform more rigorous tasks, and multitask when needed.