94

The weight of the rover in pounds

How much faster we were than last year

1:53.08

12

Members of RISD Astro (HERC)

Who are we?

We are a dedicated team of designers and engineers who want to build the best rover we can. We do metal and composites fabrication. RISD Rover (now Astro) competes in NASA’s annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the Huntsville U.S. Space and Rocket Center. I started designing for RISD Astro in November 2021. Currently, I am the president of RISD Astro and the project lead for HERC.

Design Process

  • Steering Culmination

    Steering Culmination

    We re-engineering the steering system. This is a photo of the various iterations we tested through 3D- printing in ABS plastic.

  • Steering System

    Steering System

    Our steering system is an indirect steering system composed of various linkages. Its advanced geometry was designed using 2D mockups and hands-on testing

  • Seat Prototyping

    Seat Prototyping

    To prototype our seat, we needed to compose the ideal sitting angle as well as the most comfortable seat shape.

  • Mold- Making

    Mold- Making

    Our process included making a positive mold out of foam. This mold was hand carved and hand shaped. Later, it is used to create a negative mold out of fiberglass.

  • Final Seat Part

    Final Seat Part

    Final part is prepreg twill carbon fiber and epoxy. 2 primary layers, the first follows the twill up and down and the second is offset by 45°. One extra layer is found only at the bolsters and another layer is applied only to the circumference’s rim.

    Design considerations include driver comfort and strength-to-weight optimization.

    This seat weighs in at 1.43 lbs

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Bouncy Nightstand