Białystok University of Technology students are building another Mars rover
Hyperion Mars rover, which is being built at Białystok University of Technology, has received more than PLN 360 thousand support from the Ministry of Science. In May, the rover\'s capabilities will be tested during the competition organized at the Martian base in the desert in Utah (U.S.).
University Rover Challenge in Utah is a prestigious international competition of Mars rovers built by students. In 2011, representatives of Białystok University of Technology won this competition with their rover Magma2.
In this year\'s competition, Hyperion rover built at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, will compete with 13 other rovers - told PAP the student team tutor, Associate Dean for the promotion of the faculty Kazimierz Dzierżek.
He also said that last week the Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Barbara Kudrycka awarded PLN 366 thousand for the project "Design of a mobile robot (Mars rover) for the event University Rover Challenge 2013 and 2014". The money will be used primarily to build the rover, they will also cover the costs of student travel to the United States.
The project involves eight Białystok University of Technology students, from all years of study. The coordinator is Piotr Ciura, graduate student at Białystok University of Technology, who has participated in the construction of the previous Mars rovers at the university.
Ciura told PAP that Hyperion would be made of aluminum, rather than the material used in previous rovers, polycarbonate. This should make the rover more durable and suitable for "Martian conditions", including navigating the rocky terrain. The rover will be equipped with cameras, GPS system and a special arm.
According to Ciura, all rovers are similar, the difference lies in the use of appropriate materials and systems that make them unique. Therefore, he did not want to reveal technical details before the competition.
Competition in Utah on May 30 - June 1 will be attended by Polish students from Białystok, Rzeszów and Wrocław, and students from other parts of the world: the United States, Canada and India.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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