Shooting for the STARs To Make a Mars Rover

The STAR (Students Tackling Advanced Research) Scholars Program is an appropriate name for my summer experience in more ways than one! My name is Andrew, I'm a mechanical engineering major, and I've been working with Dr. Ajmal Yousuff and fellow researchers to improve space exploration by designing a lighter, easy-to-use Mars rover.

Mars rovers today are bulky explorers with slow, years-long missions to collect samples, find water, and even search for evidence of life on the red planet. These large-scale rovers, weighing hundreds of pounds, are great for independent research. However, if humans eventually land on Mars, the rovers will be difficult for astronauts to operate. That's where our STAR team comes in!

I will never forget putting ASCEND together and watching it not only move, but also jump.

We recently completed the first prototype of ASCEND, the Advanced Spring Rover for Exploring New Destinations. It's a lightweight two-wheeled rover that features a Bluetooth remote control and camera to allow for easier navigation. However, the most unique part of our rover is the spring mechanism inside. Built using two springs, three gears, and a rack, the servo works in unison to launch eight inches into the air. We hope ASCEND can become a valuable resource in space exploration and general exploration in places on earth.

The STAR Program has really allowed me to see how the ideas and concepts I take in the classroom apply to actual engineering projects. Throughout my first year at Drexel, I really struggled to understand why we needed to learn certain things. Now through STAR, I understand how to apply classroom concepts to real-world projects. After STAR is over, the team and I want to continue working on our project. There is so much more that we can do with this general idea of small-scale exploration rovers. We want to eventually try to achieve autonomy with these rovers so that they can operate on their own, collecting data safely. We also want to improve the general design and functionality of the rover. While we love ASCEND in its current form, there are many improvements that can be made, like adding a sensor, improving materials and camera quality, and more.

STAR wasn't just about testing out my major or building a résumé. The most memorable moments came in the lab. I will never forget putting ASCEND together and watching it not only move, but also jump. It was by far one of the best days of STAR, watching our project finally come to fruition.