Preview of Dave's "Monster Truck on Mars"

[David Brinza]

Check out the drive train for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in action, courtesy the Planetary Society:

MSL is going to be HUGE!

Known as Scarecrow (due to it's lack of a brain), this full-size test model for the mobility system of MSL demonstrates it's ability to negotiate rugged terrain. The
"Monster Truck of Mars" - yet another reason why the 2007 Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership was bestowed on Dave. So cool...

[chris31]

Wow! That is a beast! I wonder what the speed of it is.

[JohnBoucher]

SWEET

[tseres]

i want one

[Tapoore]

Nice wheels!

[cooker52]

<sarcasm>So, how are they getting this one to Mars? It's a BEAST!</sarcasm>
No, it truly is a beast, but NASA always finds a way to get these thing up there. I think we should have a FIRST competition to see who can drive through that kind of terrain the best and just have a full out race. I think we need a robot race.

[Schnabel]

Originally Posted by chris31

Wow! That is a beast! I wonder what the speed of it is.

[sarcasm]Only about .567 kph. The torque is amazing though![/sarcasm]

[JesseK]

Yet another NASAbot with crab drive. I do believe NASA loves crab drive. I wonder what the weight/cost of that thing is and if we can get the drive train in under 75lbs/$3000...

Those wheels look beasty.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by JesseK

Yet another NASAbot with crab drive.

To be technical, depending on the situation, the rover can use any of several steering modes at any time: tank drive, crab/swerve drive, Ackerman drive, and probably one I'm forgetting. The steering system is built on a rocker-bogie suspension system, and the whole thing is a derivative of the systems used on both the Mars Pathfinder and Mars Exploration Rover programs.

EDIT: See here for info on the MER drive system.
EDIT 2: Oh yeah, the one I forgot! To add to the list of modes of steering, the rovers also have a pre-programmed turn-in-place routine, as evidenced here.
EDIT 3: Hey, sorry for all the edits, but check out the rover's right front wheel in the picture I just posted. Notice the lettering hidden in the tread? That's clever.

[JesseK]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm surprised we havne't seen a rocker-bogie-type drivetrain in FIRST yet, or at least I haven't in the couple of years I've done FIRST.

edit - Well, maybe now that I think about how much force other robots could impact upon your drive train....maybe I'm not so surprised any more...

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by tseres

i want one

I would be happy just to see it.
To watch it.

[Pat McCarthy]

That thing is amazing!
But I think those cross-eye stereo images are even more amazing!

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by cooker52

<sarcasm>So, how are they getting this one to Mars? It's a BEAST!</sarcasm>
No, it truly is a beast, but NASA always finds a way to get these thing up there. I think we should have a FIRST competition to see who can drive through that kind of terrain the best and just have a full out race. I think we need a robot race.

A fair portion of the avionics for MSL are being developed in my group, including the controlller for the Sky Crane.

-Kevin

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

A fair portion of the avionics for MSL are being developed in my group, including the controlller for the Sky Crane.

-Kevin

That is so cool! I think the retrorocket will turn out to be one of man's greatest inventions. I think I'll kind of miss the giant inflatable bouncing balls that landed Pathfinder and the MERs, through.

[seanwitte]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

A fair portion of the avionics for MSL are being developed in my group, including the controlller for the Sky Crane.

-Kevin

I remember seeing a preview of the Sky Crane, but the video is incredible. Now you just have to convince the science people to let you land close enough to one of the MER fellas that they can get a picture of the landing. Will it be drop tested before the big trip?