The second prize of $ 10,000 went to “Skid n ‘Bump” from the California Rovetronics team. According to the team, it includes a “fully mechanical, mostly passive” system of cams, springs, gears and shafts that allow a metal probe to detect obstacles and transmit information to the probe. Meanwhile, third place and $ 5,000 went to Callum Heron for her “Partial Steering Obstacle Sensor” (DBOS). It uses armor with a rock sensor on the front, hole sensor legs on the back, and a vehicle body-mounted tilt sensor.
In addition to the designs, NASA and heroX awarded $ 2,000 to the best prototype for Latvian Kob Art. That group created an impressive large-scale “AMII sensor” prototype that uses tracks, a pin ramp, wire rope, springs, and other basic materials to help their “scout vehicle” avoid rocks, holes, and steep slopes. He also offered Matthew Reynolds another $ 2,000 for “ECHOS” (evaluating cliff and slope objects) that uses “Mechanical SONAR” to detect obstacles.
NASA awarded honorable mentions to other designs that solved the terrain using other unique and wild ideas. In total, 572 entries were received from 82 countries, and was considered the best inclusion in the AREE design as development of the rover continues.
The goal is to have a rover that can survive for months at temperatures over 850 degrees F and barometric pressures 92 times higher than on Earth. That’s an eternity, considering that the former Soviet Union Venera 13, the longest surviving rover on Venus, only worked for 127 minutes before dying.
