The Challenger
Learning Center of Arizona
in cooperation
with
and
  
is pleased to
present:
Red Rover, a project
of the Planetary Society, is designed to give students
the opportunity to control a teleoperated microrover
similar to the Sojourner rover which was carried to Mars
by the Mars Pathfinder lander. Our rover is actually
constructed from a LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention Kit
and is controlled by software obtained from the Planetary
Society. The rover explores a simulated Martian terrain
while using a Logitech QuickCam web camera mounted on its
front to transmit what it sees to the PC workstation used
to control it. From the point of view of the student at
the PC, the rover appears to be on Mars and under student
control!
Using the Planetary
Society’s "Earth site" software (which is
freely distributable), you can use the Internet to
control any of over a hundred remote Mars sites across
the world. This capability is coming soon to the
Challenger Learning Center of Arizona!
Educational
Objectives
Direct
exprience of modern planetary exploration
techniques
Engineering
problem solving
Study of
Martian geology
Construction
and calibration of mechanical systems
Development
of teamwork and communication skills
Typical Activities
Time and
distance calibration of rover motors
Students measure how long the rover takes to
travel between two points of known distance apart
in order to calculate the average velocity of the
rover. Similarly, students can measure how long
is required for the rover to rotate through a
known number of degrees, giving its rate of turn.
Terrain
traversing
Using the calibrated velocity and turn rate,
students study an "orbital map" of the
simulated Martian terrain. Their task is to
pre-program the rover to successfully travel
across the terrain, avoiding or climbing
obstacles in its path.
Study of
geological features
In addition to the QuickCam, which also has the
capability to take still images for use in
reports, the rover is equipped with a touch
sensor and a light sensor. The touch sensor can
be used to measure the physical size of the
objects on the terrain. The light sensor sends
out a beam of light and measures the amount of
light reflected back by the terrain. Different
terrain features will reflect light in different
ways, hence a rudimentary study of
"geological formations" can be
accomplished.
Photographic
survey
The rover can be used as a precursor to a
"manned" Mars mission, using its
QuickCam to photograph the landscape and
determine sites of possible interest.
Sample
return mission
The rover has the capability of adding a third
motor which could in theory power a robotic
scoop. The rover would then be able to return a
sample of Martian "regolith" to a
lander located somewhere on the terrain.
Search for
Martian "fossils"
Hide a "fossil" somewhere on the
terrain in a place where it could be logically
found — see if the students can find it!
To find out more,
check out our Red Rover Goes to Mars page, our rover
and terrain construction page, and our photo
gallery!
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