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Students blast off to US for Nasa robotics competition
Confirmed
In Short: Jack Fitzpatrick, a PhD student in mechanical engineering, expressed his excitement about the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland, the UK, and Europe at the international competition.
A team of 10 students from Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is set to compete in NASA's lunabotics challenge in Florida later this month.
The QUB team won a previous competition in Milton Keynes earlier this year, securing their spot at the NASA lunabotics challenge.
Fitzpatrick explained that the team designed a 52 kg aluminium frame robot rover that will autonomously operate on the moon, aiming to build environments for future human habitation.
"We got on very well. We ended up winning the competition and had great fun," Fitzpatrick said, reflecting on their success.
The lunabotics competition is a university-level challenge where teams use NASA's systems engineering process to design, build, and operate a lunar robot.
"It'll pick up the sand and then deposit it at another location, and it's meant to do this all by itself," Fitzpatrick elaborated on the robot's capabilities.
The competition is part of NASA's Artemis Campaign, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the moon.
"We may not win the competition this year but we're building a base upon which we can improve year on year and maybe come back in a few years and really come through with a winning design," Fitzpatrick added.
Caolán Boyle, Head of Robotics at QPL, expressed pride and excitement for the team, noting that "hundreds of hours have gone into making the rover mission ready for the event."
What's confirmed
- A team of 10 students from Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is set to compete in NASA's lunabotics challenge in Florida later this month.
- The QUB team won a previous competition in Milton Keynes earlier this year, securing their spot at the NASA lunabotics challenge.
- Fitzpatrick explained that the team designed a 52 kg aluminium frame robot rover that will autonomously operate on the moon, aiming to build environments for future human habitation.
- "We got on very well. We ended up winning the competition and had great fun," Fitzpatrick said, reflecting on their success.
- The lunabotics competition is a university-level challenge where teams use NASA's systems engineering process to design, build, and operate a lunar robot.
- "It'll pick up the sand and then deposit it at another location, and it's meant to do this all by itself," Fitzpatrick elaborated on the robot's capabilities.
- The competition is part of NASA's Artemis Campaign, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the moon.
- "We may not win the competition this year but we're building a base upon which we can improve year on year and maybe come back in a few years and really come through with a winning design," Fitzpatrick added.
What's still developing
- Jack Fitzpatrick, who's studying for a PhD in mechanical engineering, said "it's a great feeling" to have been invited and they're looking forward to the opportunity to take part.
- "We analyse that something is physically strong enough, it's well built enough to survive this environment, it's going to have the traction to drive in this environment," he explained.
- Jack said that being asked to go was a "great feeling" and "a real opportunity to demonstrate everything that you've learned".
- "It's just a great opportunity to represent Northern Ireland, the UK and really Europe abroad as we are the only European team that will be there," Jack explained.
- Both of the students said their success was a reflection of both themselves and also the university and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
- Jack explained that there have been several precursor competitions in different countries and this competition takes the top tier of those competitions and brings them together "to really showcase the talent" that there is internationally.
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- "We are the winning team from the United Kingdom competition and we will be representing the UK and, by extension, Europe at this competition."
- Discover the dynamic community, state-of-the-art facilities, and engaging academic programs that make UMass Boston a top choice for students.
- “During the 16th annual Lunabotics University Challenge the teams continued to raise the bar on excavating, transporting and depositing lunar regolith simulant with clever remotely controlled robots,” said Robert Mueller, senior technologist at NASA Kennedy for advanced products development in the agency’s exploration research and technology programs directorate, and lead judge and co-founder of the original Lunabotics robotic mining challenge.
- “There’s nothing like the Lunabotics Challenge for getting hands-on engineering experience,” said Brycen Cheney, president of the Utah Student Robotics club and junior in the U’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
- “We were also the only team that was able to fully lift a rock that was an obstacle on the field,” said Jeff Hansen, team member and senior in chemical and computer engineering.