UNIVERSITY ROVER CHALLENGE // 2026 PLATFORM

2026 MARS ROVER

Mechanical lead for a field-tested rover program spanning chassis layout, manipulator redesign, thermal packaging, subsystem integration, and deadline-driven validation.

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

TEAM

12 PERSON MECHANICAL SUBTEAM

MASS OPTIMIZATION

13.43% MASS REDUCTION IN TARGETED SUBSYSTEMS

ARM REDESIGN

4.5 KG LIGHTER ARM REDESIGN

UNIVERSITY ROVER CHALLENGE // 2026 PLATFORM

2026 MARS ROVER

Mechanical lead for a field-tested rover program spanning chassis layout, manipulator redesign, thermal packaging, subsystem integration, and deadline-driven validation.

Led the mechanical program for a competition rover where drivetrain reliability, arm capability, electronics packaging, science integration, and operator readiness all had to work as one system. The season centered on reducing weight, improving terrain performance, redesigning underperforming subsystems, and building toward a more credible URC field platform.

MISSION

Design and field a rover for the University Rover Challenge capable of completing a realistic set of Mars-inspired tasks, including science sampling and onboard analysis, tool retrieval, mock equipment servicing, and autonomous search and traverse. The broader goal was to build a credible mock Mars rover system that could perform reliably across varied operational demands.

ROLE

Mechanical lead responsible for team direction, subsystem architecture, design reviews, CAD workflow, packaging decisions, integration planning, and validation across the rover. Worked across drivetrain, suspension, arm, science mounting, and new mechanism development while coordinating the mechanical team through design and execution. The mechanical team consisted of 12 members.

SYSTEM

Welded aluminum rover chassis, suspension and drivetrain, custom TPU wheel redesign, existing six-axis arm with gearbox and homing upgrades, new lightweight arm architecture, science payload packaging, modular electronics layout, and cross-team integration with electrical, autonomy, and testing.

CONSTRAINTS

The project was shaped by aggressive competition deadlines, limited iteration cycles, subsystem interdependence, and the need to balance performance, reliability, and manufacturability across the full rover. Key constraints included electrical packaging, thermal considerations around enclosed electronics and power systems, cross-team integration with electrical, software, autonomy, and science, and staying near the competition weight limit without compromising durability or serviceability.

SCOPE OF WORK

Mechanical Responsibilities

Breakdown of direct mechanical responsibilities, supporting contributions, and cross-team integration points.

Led Directly

Mechanical team direction, CAD reviews, and subsystem architecture prioritization

Manipulator redesign scope across the new arm, wrist, and linear-axis packaging

Packaging decisions for chassis access, modular electronics, and science integration

Contributed To

Wheel and suspension redesign for terrain performance and reduced unsprung mass

Current-arm homing upgrades, gearbox packaging, and manipulator validation

Test planning and full-rover readiness for mock mission operation

Cross-Team Integration

Electrical enclosure layout, sealed thermal interfaces, and controls hardware

Autonomy and software requirements for arm behavior, typing, and repeatable tasks

Science subsystem sequencing, mounting, and contamination-control interfaces

KEY DECISIONS

Architecture Decisions That Shaped The Program

The main design choices, the constraints behind them, and their effect on the final rover.

DECISION 01

KEPT THE PROVEN ROVER FRAME AND FOCUSED REDESIGN ON WEAK POINTS

Constraint

The chassis was already field-proven, while wheel performance, subsystem weight, and manipulator packaging were more significant limitations.

Decision

Retained the welded aluminum base architecture and focused redesign effort on wheel performance, arm mass reduction, service access, and subsystem integration.

Impact

This reduced program risk while still improving terrain capability, weight, and field readiness.

DECISION 02

REDESIGNED THE ARM AROUND CURRENT MISSION NEEDS

Constraint

The previous arm was capable, but it carried too much mass and complexity for the tasks that mattered most going forward.

Decision

Developed a new arm with four rotational degrees of freedom and one linear axis, with shifted actuator placement and a lighter wrist and linear-motion package.

Impact

The redesign reduced mass by about 4.5 kg, lowered moving inertia, and created a more credible path toward autonomous typing and repeatable field tasks.

DECISION 03

TREATED SERVICEABILITY AND VALIDATION AS CORE MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS

Constraint

The rover had to survive repeated integration changes, deadlines, and operator testing rather than only looking complete in CAD.

Decision

Used removable panels, modular electronics packaging, staged bench testing, and cross-team reviews to keep the rover workable throughout development.

Impact

The platform became easier to integrate, troubleshoot, and field test under realistic mission conditions.

ITERATION STRIP

Concept To Final Result

A quick read on how the project evolved through redesign, integration, and field use.

CONCEPT

SEASON GOALS FOCUSED ON FIELD PERFORMANCE OVER ISOLATED SUBSYSTEM POLISH

The mechanical direction focused on terrain performance, manipulator usefulness, serviceability, and full-system readiness for URC-style testing.

REDESIGN

WHEEL AND ARM ARCHITECTURE WERE REDESIGNED AROUND KEY PERFORMANCE LIMITS

The team pushed tire geometry, suspension weight, and new-arm architecture where the previous platform had clearly fallen short.

PROTOTYPE

MECHANISM STUDIES AND STAGED TESTS WERE USED TO VALIDATE MOTION AND PACKAGING

Arm, wrist, wheel, and science concepts were checked through CAD, FEA, and bench testing before full integration.

INTEGRATION

MECHANICAL PACKAGING WAS TIED TO ELECTRICAL, AUTONOMY, SCIENCE, AND OPERATOR NEEDS

Panels, electronics layout, payload mounting, and wiring paths were treated as integration hardware, not afterthoughts.

FIELD TEST

THE ROVER WAS TESTED ON STAIRS, ROCKS, SLOPES, AND MOCK MISSION TASKS

Testing emphasized recoverable field behavior, operator workflow, and whether the rover could execute tasks under realistic constraints.

RESULT

A LIGHTER, MORE TESTABLE ROVER REACHED COMPETITION AND PLACED 18TH GLOBALLY

The final result was a rover that placed 18th globally, with meaningful improvements in wheel performance, manipulator architecture, and serviceability carried into field-ready hardware.

ARCHITECTURE

Subsystem Breakdown

Major mechanism highlights are given more weight, while supporting sections stay quieter and easier to scan.

TOOLS USED

SolidWorksSolidWorks FEARapid prototypingThermal packagingSystems integrationDesign for serviceabilityMechanism packaging

Welded Platform And Modular Service Access

Top-down bellypan test image showing how the rover's internal packaging and service-access strategy were treated as active integration hardware.

CHASSIS

Welded Platform And Modular Service Access

Welded aluminum chassis | removable panels | modular belly pan | service access

The rover chassis was reused from the prior season as a welded aluminum structure chosen for rigidity, field familiarity, and low risk. Removable side panels, a top panel, and a patterned aluminum belly pan supported rapid prototyping, electronics reconfiguration, and cleaner service access during integration. Rather than restarting the platform, the season focused on preserving what was already field credible and improving what had actually limited performance.

Prototype Loop For The New Tire Geometry

Prototype wheel hardware used to evaluate tire geometry, printability, and how the larger format would package into the suspension system.

WHEEL DEVELOPMENT

Prototype Loop For The New Tire Geometry

TPU tire prototypes | larger diameter study | traction + clearance iteration

Wheel iteration was treated as a dedicated development track rather than a last-minute hardware swap. The team cycled through TPU tire concepts to improve contact patch, outer diameter, compliance, and packaging before committing to the wider, larger-diameter wheel that ultimately improved clearance and terrain behavior.

Terrain test footage showing the rover using the updated wheel package in motion rather than only as a CAD or bench-top improvement.

TERRAIN

Wheel And Suspension Redesign

50% wider tires | 38% larger diameter | +3 in clearance | stair climbing

After ground clearance and traction issues in prior competition, the mechanical team spent months prototyping wheel concepts and landed on a new TPU tire design that was 50% wider and 38% larger in diameter. The redesign added roughly 3 in of ground clearance and enabled the rover to climb stairs for the first time in team history, while other suspension weight reductions lowered unsprung mass and improved handling. In the PDR, the team also reported the tires as 38% lighter despite the larger footprint.

Arm capability collage showing several real task demonstrations on one screen, making the retained manipulator's functional envelope easier to read at a glance.

ARM

Current Arm Validation And Homing Upgrades

Six-axis arm | lighter gearbox housings | Hall-effect homing | >8 kg lift

The existing arm remained a six-axis manipulator using strain-wave and custom cycloidal gearboxes for high torque with minimal backlash. During this cycle, the mechanical and electrical architecture around it was improved through lighter machined aluminum gearbox housings and compact Hall-effect homing modules at each joint. The arm was validated on real mission tasks including lifting over 8 kg, manipulating a USB-C drive, opening and closing latches, typing on a keyboard, opening a drawer, flipping switches, and attaching a hose to a mock lander.

A brief CAD pass is enough here to show the redesign direction without turning the rover page into a dedicated new-arm deep dive.

NEW ARM

Lightweight Arm Redesign

4 rotational DOF + 1 linear axis | belt-shifted actuators | dual encoders | -4.5 kg

A new arm was developed from scratch to reduce weight and simplify high-value tasks such as autonomous typing. The redesign traded the previous six rotational axes for four rotational degrees of freedom plus one linear axis, used enclosed BLDC actuators with planetary gearboxes and dual encoders, and relied on belt transmissions to move motors closer to the fulcrum. The resulting architecture reduced moving mass, simplified packaging, and came in approximately 4.5 kg lighter than the current arm.

Science-system run showing the payload hardware operating as a mechanical workflow instead of as disconnected bench components.

SCIENCE

Science Payload Mounting And Sample Handling

18 in linear actuator | 10 cm auger depth | isolated caches | indexed cuvette transfer

The science system was redesigned as a more reliable mechanical pipeline for soil collection, transfer, and analysis. An 18 in linear actuator with gas springs kept caches at ground level while driving the auger to 10 cm depth, servo-operated lids enabled selective caching without cross-contamination, and an internal belt-driven indexing system positioned cuvettes for the photomultiplier tube. Mechanical packaging had to support repeatable sequencing, sealing, contamination control, and future scalability rather than just fitting the hardware onto the rover.

Focused testing of the analysis subsystem internals, shown as a supporting detail to the full-field science-system run rather than as a separate standalone project.

SCIENCE ANALYSIS

Internal Analysis-System Validation

Internal transfer visibility | analysis subsystem checks | supporting science validation

Inside the broader science workflow, the analysis subsystem had its own mechanical demands around internal transfer, controlled sequencing, and making the packaged internals visible and debuggable during testing. That work mattered because the rover was not just collecting soil; it had to move samples through a contained process reliably enough to support repeatable analysis behavior on the full platform.

VALIDATION

Validation Notes

SolidWorks FEA used to guide arm and wrist redesign

Integration reviews across mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces

Bench testing before subsystem mounting and rover integration

Field testing on stairs, rocky terrain, steep grades, and mock mission conditions

Operator-focused testing under realistic competition workflows

EVIDENCE 01

Arm and packaging evidence

Expand

The manipulator work was justified through measurable mass reduction, design simplification, and better support for real tasks.

SolidWorks FEA was used to guide the arm and wrist redesign before fabrication decisions were locked.

The new arm came in about 4.5 kg lighter than the current arm by reducing moving mass and simplifying the architecture.

The linear axis used a ball screw carriage system and aluminum extrusion to maintain stiffness and prevent backdriving with lower mass.

EVIDENCE 02

Terrain and drivetrain evidence

Expand

Wheel and suspension work was driven by the need to improve actual off-road behavior, not just meet packaging targets.

New TPU tires were 50% wider and 38% larger in diameter, adding about 3 in of ground clearance.

The wheel redesign enabled stair climbing for the first time in team history while reducing weight in other suspension components.

Each wheel used a 400 W BLDC motor with a 100:1 gearbox, delivering high torque and recoverable field behavior over rough terrain.

EVIDENCE 03

System integration and validation evidence

Expand

The rover had to survive operator use, cross-team integration, and realistic testing rather than isolated subsystem demos.

Bench testing was used before subsystem mounting and full-rover integration.

Field testing covered stairs, rocky terrain, steep grades, and mock mission conditions.

Mechanical packaging was reviewed alongside electrical, software, science, and operator workflows to keep the rover serviceable.

OUTCOME

Outcome

Achieved 18th place globally, reduced substantial mass from the manipulator package, improved wheel and terrain performance, and delivered a more serviceable mechanical architecture for field testing, subsystem integration, and mock mission operation. The new arm architecture reduced mass by roughly 4.5 kg relative to the current arm, while broader subsystem work contributed to a 13.43% reduction across targeted mechanical systems.

RESULT SNAPSHOT

TEAM

12 PERSON MECHANICAL SUBTEAM

MASS OPTIMIZATION

13.43% MASS REDUCTION IN TARGETED SUBSYSTEMS

ARM REDESIGN

4.5 KG LIGHTER ARM REDESIGN

ENGINEERING TAKEAWAYS

What Worked, What Changed, What I Learned

What worked

Keeping the proven chassis while redesigning the weak subsystems made the season more focused and lower risk.

The wheel and arm work translated into visible gains in terrain capability, moving mass, and full-system credibility.

What changed

The season shifted from subsystem-by-subsystem fixes toward a more disciplined view of field readiness and integration.

Manipulator architecture moved away from preserving every old degree of freedom toward a lighter, more task-driven layout.

What I learned

Mechanical leadership is as much about sequencing decisions and protecting testability as it is about designing mechanisms.

A rover becomes credible when service access, operator workflow, and subsystem interfaces are treated as design problems from the start.

GALLERY / APPENDIX

Supporting Media And Section Index

A compact appendix for scanning media, captions, and subsystem callouts without re-reading the full page.

CHASSIS

Welded Platform And Modular Service Access

Welded aluminum chassis | removable panels | modular belly pan | service access

Top-down bellypan test image showing how the rover's internal packaging and service-access strategy were treated as active integration hardware.

WHEEL DEVELOPMENT

Prototype Loop For The New Tire Geometry

TPU tire prototypes | larger diameter study | traction + clearance iteration

Prototype wheel hardware used to evaluate tire geometry, printability, and how the larger format would package into the suspension system.

TERRAIN

Wheel And Suspension Redesign

50% wider tires | 38% larger diameter | +3 in clearance | stair climbing

Terrain test footage showing the rover using the updated wheel package in motion rather than only as a CAD or bench-top improvement.

ARM

Current Arm Validation And Homing Upgrades

Six-axis arm | lighter gearbox housings | Hall-effect homing | >8 kg lift

Arm capability collage showing several real task demonstrations on one screen, making the retained manipulator's functional envelope easier to read at a glance.

NEW ARM

Lightweight Arm Redesign

4 rotational DOF + 1 linear axis | belt-shifted actuators | dual encoders | -4.5 kg

A brief CAD pass is enough here to show the redesign direction without turning the rover page into a dedicated new-arm deep dive.

SCIENCE

Science Payload Mounting And Sample Handling

18 in linear actuator | 10 cm auger depth | isolated caches | indexed cuvette transfer

Science-system run showing the payload hardware operating as a mechanical workflow instead of as disconnected bench components.

SCIENCE ANALYSIS

Internal Analysis-System Validation

Internal transfer visibility | analysis subsystem checks | supporting science validation

Focused testing of the analysis subsystem internals, shown as a supporting detail to the full-field science-system run rather than as a separate standalone project.

VIDEO PREVIEW

External Project Videos

A few external videos that show the project in motion beyond the embedded local media on this page.

SAR Video