In Fall of 2022, the Behrend Robotics Club made the decision to transition away from the NASA Lunabotics competition. The club decided to instead focus on competing in the University Rover Challenge. The University Rover Challenge (URC) is an annual robotics competition that challenges university and college students from around the world to design, build, and operate a rover that can perform a series of complex tasks relevant to planetary exploration. The challenge typically simulates conditions that a rover might encounter on the surface of another planet, such as Mars.
The competition is hosted by the Mars Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of Mars. The URC provides a platform for aspiring engineers, scientists, and innovators to apply their knowledge and skills in robotics, engineering, and space systems development.
The club currently hosts 5 workshop meetings each week to continue the development of our rover. There are about 30 students who actively work on the rover. Below is a video submission for our 22-23 competition year.