SOMTECH's flagship competition team. We are dedicated to pioneering advancements in robotic technology through our participation in the University Rover Challenge (URC). An event organized by the Mars Society, URC is a global competition tasking university teams with designing, constructing, and operating a rover to accomplish missions within a simulated Martian setting.
Mechanical
Models and builds the rover chassis as well as submodules, like the robot arm and soil sampler.
Electrical
Designs and prototypes rover electronics using Altium and microcontrollers for motor controls, BMS, power distribution, and other electrical modules.
Software
Programs the rover using ROS, C++, and Python. Designs GPS tracking, rover controls, autonomous pathfinding, and more.
Science
Researches ways for the rover to detect life using soil samples with high powered lasers and Raman spectroscopy.
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URC is open to all SOMTECH members! New URC team members will go through SOMTECH's mentorship program for a few weeks, and then once necessarily skills are developed and built up, members are transferred to a subteam to contribute to the rover. Join our discord to learn more, and feel free to ask questions!