RoboUtes at NASA June13

NASA selected University of Utah Mechanical Engineering RoboUtes to compete in this year’s RASC-AL Robo-Ops Competition!

Congratulations to NASA RASC-AL Robo-Ops Competition finalists:

  • California State University, Long Beach
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • San Jose State University
  • University at Buffalo
  • University of Maryland
  • The University of Utah
  • Virginia Tech
  • West Virginia University

The University of Utah RoboUtes is one of eight teams selected nationally to compete in the 2015 RASC-AL Exploration Robo-Ops (Robo-Ops) June 2015, in a series of competitive field tests at the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard, Houston, Texas.

Eight qualifying teams were selected to receive a $10,000 award to facilitate full participation in the Robo-Ops competition, including expenses for rover development, materials, testing equipment, hardware and software. At the 2015 RASC-AL Robo-Ops Competition in Houston, the rovers will compete on a planetary analog environment under the supervision of NASA judges.

Each rover will be required to be controlled from the home university campus via a commercial broadband wireless uplink. The only information available to the rover controller to perform the required tasks will be information transmitted through on-board rover video camera(s) or other on-board sensors. Cameras will allow the transmission of the competition back to the home universities as well as the general public.

NASA seeks to engage the public in its missions and research. Supporting that goal, the Robo-Ops competition includes a unique public engagement component to the challenge. Teams will be required to do an education and outreach activity for their rover that demonstrates participatory exploration approaches for future NASA missions. This includes Internet-based social media sites and other creative outreach approaches.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah is committed to providing students with broad-based, rigorous and progressive education. By combining state-of-the-art facilities with renowned faculty, the department provides an education that gives students the necessary skills to become the next generation of innovators.