Hanze and UG students design Mars Rover

The Groningen students Makercie team did not make it to the finals of the European Rover Challenge. No worries, they will certainly be there next year.

At university we have a lot of theoretical courses, but practical knowledge often lags behind. This is what moved a group of students from the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences to collaborate and participate in the European Rover Challenge (ERC). The ERC is an international competition that challenges teams to design, build, and operate planet exploration rovers.

They have to tackle tasks that look like challenges faced by rovers who actually take soil samples on Mars and the Moon

‘In February 2023 six physics students from the University of Groningen decided they wanted more practical challenges. They teamed up and started Makercie. And now the team consists of almost fifty fanatics.’ Mara, who joined the team in the summer of 2023, is responsible for public relations. ‘After considering various competitions these six pioneers decided to compete in the European Rover Challenge.’
Competitors from all over the world have to tackle tasks that resemble the challenges faced by rovers who actually drive and take soil samples on Mars and the Moon. An expert jury will determine which of the dozens of rover teams is best.

Last year, Makercie, the only Dutch team that competed, won the remote competition, which focussed solely on the software design.
This year, Makercie stepped up its game and joined the physical challenge. So they had to build their actual exploration rover.
‘It’s not just the rover, though’, Mara says, ‘we also had to build the equipment site that was going to collect the samples, and we’ve made the drone that is going to assist all over out on the field.’ In order to do all that work the team got together every Tuesday evening at the Hanze Makerspace.

It was realy tough, we had to work until three o’clock in the morning to get all the shots we needed

One of the biggest challenges was to make it to the finals (which will be held from 6 to 9 September in the city of Krakow, Poland). ‘Only 27 teams out of 69 in total are invited to join the competition final’, Mara says.

Sadly enough, the Makercie team did not make it. This was a big disappointment because the team had put in serious work in the qualifications. ‘The day we filmed our rover was really tough. We had to work until three o’clock in the morning to get all the shots we needed.’
The qualifications were decided based on detailed reports and a video showcasing progress and capabilities. ‘The team was hoping on qualifying, but we have to be realistic. The other teams have more experience in the competition.’

The rule of thumb is: do not buy anything you can construct yourself

Team member Heba, a first-year electrical engineering student at Hanze, was responsible for the research on batteries. ‘You get more points if you build the battery from scratch. The rule of thumb is: do not buy anything you can construct yourself.’ However, due to time constraints the team was forced to decide to purchase a battery. From that moment on Heba focused on the rover’s arm, ensuring that the arm could move in different directions.

When asked about the biggest challenge, Mara and Heba start laughing. ‘Funds basically’, Mara says. ‘Especially at the beginning of the year. At the moment, everything is running more smoothly. In the beginning, we hadn’t put together an acquisition team yet. We had to collaborate closely with the TPA Department of Groningen University where we had to store the money. They were like: okay, you have to pick from these specific people and maybe you will receive the components a month or two later.’ Later on, Makercie found more and more sponsors. ‘Things improved from the moment we started collaborating with companies from the greater Northern area of Groningen.’

‘Wow! I can actually learn a little bit about how to put solid reports together’

One of the most significant takeaways for both Heba and Mara has been the interdisciplinary learning experience. Heba: ‘I saw the report that other students in the team wrote. I was like: o, wow, that’s a lot of pages. I can actually learn a little bit about how to put solid reports together. That is a part I will probably not encounter at Hanze. Of course, we do make reports at the School of Engineering but I think we don’t go in depth as much as research universities. Most of my team mates are from physics and I noticed that I am learning from them about that part.’ Mara, on the other hand, has developed a newfound appreciation for the technical aspects of design and engineering; she is even considering a minor in designing technology.

‘It’s really nice to find out the emergency button works every time you push it’

When building a rover from scratch, you’ll find joy in the little things, for example when the rover moves for the first time or when you find out the emergency button works every time you push it. Mara: ‘For the video requirement we had to show the rover moving in certain ways. But we also had to show that in case something bad happens, which we sincerely hope will not occur, we can turn all the systems off through an emergency stop pattern.’ Although the team did not qualify they are determined to continue working and compete again next year.