University students from around Australia and the world are set to come face-to-face for a four-day lunar rover competition at this year’s Australian Rover Challenge (ARCh).
Held at the University of Adelaide from 23-26 March, the challenge will see student-designed and built semi-autonomous rovers compete in a series of exercises on a simulated lunar landscape.
Each rover team will be required to undertake navigation, resources and construction tasks comparable to the duties of a rover mission.
Associate Professor John Culton from the University of Adelaide’s Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources explained the ARCh isn’t simply about putting the rovers to the test, but about inspiring the next generation of engineers through hands-on learning.
“The global Australian Rover Challenge tests students to design and build a rover to compete in a simulated lunar mission,” said Associate Professor Culton.
“ARCh doesn’t just test the capabilities of lunar rovers; it stretches the space engineers of the future to work as teams to solve problems in real-time.
“ARCh participants could become the NASA engineers of the future who will navigate the successors to Mars rover Perseverance, on planets, moons, and asteroids throughout the solar system.”
The South Australian Space Industry Centre is a proud supporter of the Australian Rover Challenge and supporter of the Adelaide Rover Team.
Best of luck to all competing teams!
The challenge is a free event and open to the public to watch. It will be held on the Maths Lawns on The University of Adelaide’s North Terrace campus.
Find out more by visiting the Australian Rover Challenge website
