College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 3
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 4
College of Engineering
Department - Author 4
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 4
BS in Mechanical Engineering
Date
6-2026
Primary Advisor
Lauren Rueda, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
This project involves several key stakeholders, including the Poly1 Rover Club, Professor Rich Murray, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The primary objective is to develop an improved robotic claw capable of retrieving sample tubes left by the Perseverance Rover on the Martian surface. In tackling this challenge, the design must account for the harsh Mars climate while integrating cameras and electrical components, durable structure, and a rotational component to the Mini-Rover claw without incorporating an additional motor, sample storage unit, structural aspects or unnecessary weight. The current Mini-Rover consists of a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm with joints often referred to as “shoulder”, “elbow”, “wrist”, and “hand”, each operated by a “near-space-rated” servo motor. In hopes of minimizing overall weight and wiring within the arm, designs that use a single motor to drive multiple functions are being explored. The Mini-Rover must identify, grasp, and lift sample tubes within the Jezero Crater river delta at the Three Forks sample depot, where Perseverance has deposited its geological samples. Once the sample tube has been grabbed, the rover must remove the endcap, oriented to the tube vertically, and place it securely into the sample cassette, which sits on the Mars lander. It is critical that our design is validated and dependable for a successful mission.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/mesp/876