{"id":611962,"date":"2024-07-01T14:50:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T18:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=611962"},"modified":"2024-07-11T15:46:20","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T19:46:20","slug":"systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/","title":{"rendered":"Team building through bot building"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rochester undergraduates gained crucial systems engineering experience constructing a lunar rover for NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Melbot V3 stands just two and a half feet tall and is made primarily of aluminum and plastic, held together with nuts and bolts. It can successfully complete its target tasks: to drive, dig, and deposit.<\/p>\n

The silver mini robot was built in Rettner Hall on the River Campus by about 20 University of Rochester<\/a> engineering majors who are members of the student organization UR Robotics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Diptych
GLOW UP:<\/strong> Melbot V3 was fabricated in Rettner Hall by a group of undergraduate engineering majors for NASA\u2019s 2024 Lunabotics Challenge. \u201cMelbot was a total team effort,\u201d says Alex Saunders \u201925. (Images courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMelbot was a total team effort,\u201d says Alex Saunders \u201925, a mechanical engineering major from Calais, Vermont. \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of our robot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students began designing Melbot V3 last September for an annual spring competition called the Lunabotics Challenge<\/a>, a university-based, yearlong event run and sponsored by NASA. Robots are tasked with driving, digging, and depositing regolith\u2014the fragmented rock material that covers the moon\u2019s surface\u2014in a lunar simulant at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando.<\/p>\n

The Rochester students finished 19th of the 43 teams invited to showcase their robotic rovers. Ten finalists made the short trip to the Kennedy Space Center for the two-day final round, with Iowa State University and the University of Alabama tying for first.<\/p>\n

Lunabotics is in its 15th year, and Rochester joined in 2022. The \u201cV3\u201d in Melbot\u2019s name is a nod to the third year of competition for the team.<\/p>\n

\"Undergraduate
DREAM TEAM WITH MACHINE:<\/strong> Rochester engineering undergraduates with Melbot V3 in Florida for the 2024 Lunabotics competition. (Image courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe first year was a lot of growing pains, learning what it was like to make a budget, keep to a schedule, put a robot together, and bring it down to Florida,\u201d says Thomas Howard, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering<\/a> and the UR Robotics advisor. \u201cLast year was a virtual competition that involved a local demonstration of digging capabilities. This was the first year our students completed all three tasks, driving, digging, and depositing, at a formal competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students say that combining the lessons learned in their engineering classes with real-life engineering challenges was invaluable. Howard teaches a course on mechatronics each year along with a rotating schedule of advanced electives that concern different aspects of autonomous robots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most useful direct learning comes from Professor Howard\u2019s robotics courses,\u201d says Saunders, who was the team captain and design lead. \u201cBut the main takeaway is developing team skills and ways of approaching an engineering problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GIF
HOT WHEELS:<\/strong> Melbot V3 successfully drove across the surface of a lunar simulant at the University of Central Florida. (Media courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Creating a robot in six months<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By late March of the 2023\u201324 academic year, the students had designed and built Melbot V3 using the basic system engineering principles outlined by NASA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe worked hard going from conceptual ideas to designing in CAD (computer-aided design) and manufacturing our robot,\u201d says Bridgit Nguyen \u201926, a mechanical engineering major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. \u201cWe were constantly troubleshooting. It was stressful but satisfying to finally figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saunders estimates he spent about 300 hours on the project\u2014everything from administrative tasks, CAD work, design reviews, machining, assembling, testing, outreach, and writing\u00a0to meet all the requirements for the competition.”<\/p>\n

\"Four
GEARED UP:<\/strong> The Rochester team with their robot at the lunar simulant at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. (Image courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the most complex problem, engineering or otherwise, I\u2019ve worked on and it truly required a multidisciplinary approach,\u201d Saunders says. \u201cIf the mechanical, electrical, or software sides aren\u2019t working together, we won\u2019t get anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The complex technological challenges of a fully autonomous robot required breaking the project into multiple tasks, assigning each task to a sub-team, and then coordinating across sub-teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding a functional\u00a0robot as a stand-alone task can be easy, but when coupled with limited physical requirements, budget, committed time to the project, and manufacturing options, the challenge becomes ten times harder,\u201d says Hesham Elshafey \u201925, an electrical and computer engineering major from Tanta, Egypt. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what is great about it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GIF
SCHOOL OF ROCK:<\/strong> \u201cWe worked hard going from conceptual ideas to designing in CAD (computer-aided design) and manufacturing our robot,\u201d says mechanical engineering major Bridgit Nguyen \u201926. \u201cWe were constantly troubleshooting.\u201d (Media courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unexpected issues made for innovative solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDown at UCF, we didn\u2019t bring the dust cover we had made for our electric box,\u201d Nguyen says, \u201cso we improvised one from a tablecloth and used the leftover cloth to make sure the washers\u2014which weren\u2019t the perfect size\u2014were secured on our drivetrain\u2019s shafts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experiential learning was biggest prize for students<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Rochester
THEY SEE ME ROLLIN\u2019:<\/strong> Josh Choi \u201925 tests Melbot V3 on an outdoor volleyball court on the River Campus. (Image courtesy of UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Experiential learning is a hallmark of an undergraduate education at ÌÇÐÄlogo with many engineering students participating in senior design projects<\/a>. Yet such immersive opportunities are not limited just to graduating seniors.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things our students ask for year after year is more engineering and design opportunities,\u201d Howard says. \u201cUR Robotics club gives students an opportunity to do this every academic year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hisashi Lonske \u201925, a mechanical engineering major from Boston, joined the UR Robotics club looking for a tangible project that revolved around design and problem solving. \u201cI got exactly what I was looking for,\u201d Lonske says. \u201cWhile I was able to apply the math and concepts I learned in class to the creation of the robot, the problem-solving and critical thinking elements are the core of the Lunabotics project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of all was the joy of being part of a team working with a common purpose.<\/p>\n

\"University
ICONIC:<\/strong> The 2024 Lunabotics contingent from Rochester in front of the NASA sign at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image courtesy UR Robotics)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cEven though the club was split into sub-teams to work on various parts of the robot, those sub-teams would frequently talk with members of other sub-teams to bounce ideas off each other,\u201d Lonske says. \u201cThe experience of collaborating in a team setting to achieve a single goal is particularly important for us future engineers. These kinds of experiences await us en masse<\/em> beyond our time at Rochester.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josh Choi \u201925, an electrical and computer engineering major from Long Island, performed much of the electronics, control, and software work for the project. He says the challenges and sleepless nights were worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s undoubtedly the highlight of my time at ÌÇÐÄlogo\u201d he says. \u201cHaving the opportunity to build a fully functioning robot from scratch while working alongside our team of awesome engineers was an invaluable experience I\u2019ll always carry with me and will be crucial in my career going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Two
ROBOT ROADTRIP:<\/strong> Melbot V3 debuted at the Hajim School’s annual Design Day, when engineering students showcase their capstone projects, before being packed up and shipped on a freight truck to Florida for the 2024 Lunabotics Challenge. (University of Rochester photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rochester undergraduates gained crucial systems engineering experience constructing a lunar rover for NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":672,"featured_media":612212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[39442,40082,19382,23312,18632],"class_list":["post-611962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life","tag-class-of-2025","tag-class-of-2026","tag-department-of-electrical-and-computer-engineering","tag-department-of-mechanical-engineering","tag-hajim-school-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTeam building through bot building<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"University of Rochester undergraduates gained systems engineering experience constructing a lunar rover for NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Team building through bot building\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"University of Rochester undergraduates gained systems engineering experience constructing a lunar rover for NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-01T18:50:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-11T19:46:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NASA_Lunabotics_Challenge_GIF_05_opt.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"296\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Mandelaro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Mandelaro\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/\",\"name\":\"Team building through bot building\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NASA_Lunabotics_Challenge_GIF_05_opt.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-01T18:50:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-11T19:46:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/#\/schema\/person\/35537746af700f24d7e52e350d95b124\"},\"description\":\"University of Rochester undergraduates gained systems engineering experience constructing a lunar rover for NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/systems-engineering-nasa-lunabotics-challenge-2024-611962\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NASA_Lunabotics_Challenge_GIF_05_opt.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NASA_Lunabotics_Challenge_GIF_05_opt.gif\",\"width\":525,\"height\":296,\"caption\":\"LUNAR RANGE ROVER: A team of University of Rochester undergraduates designed Melbot V3 for the Lunabotics Challenge, a university-based, yearlong event run and sponsored by NASA. 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