Date of Award

6-2026

Degree Name

MS in Aerospace Engineering

Department/Program

Aerospace Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor

Stephen Kwok-Choon

Advisor Department

Aerospace Engineering

Advisor College

College of Engineering

Abstract

The expansion of space exploration to increasingly challenging planetary environments requires mobility systems capable of extreme traversal capabilities and operational reliability. This thesis presents the design, development, and testing of a low-cost Hybrid-Actuated Mobile Spherical Terrain Exploration Rover (HAMSTER) intended for use on a planetary surface exploration mission. HAMSTER uses a pendulum-based actuation method for steering and an actuated internal shaft to propel the vehicle forward. The internal structure includes a two-tiered central case composed of the navigation control module, accelerometer, motor controller, primary DC motor, battery, voltage regulators, Raspberry Pi, pendulum servo motor, and drive shafts. Additive manufacturing through 3D printing was selected for rapid prototyping, fabrication, and iterative refinement of the internal chassis and exterior shell.

The thesis documents the results of component-level verification of individual subsystems, subsystem integration to validate compatibility and coordinated operation, and field testing to assess full system performance. The final field deployment successfully demonstrates a complete loop around the Engineering Plaza with continuous GPS tracking, achieving an average velocity of 1.315 m/s. The system achieved a unit cost of \$424.60 using commercially-off-the-shelf components and accessible manufacturing techniques. The successful validation of system performance confirms the feasibility of a spherical rover platform with validated actuation mechanisms and sensor acquisition.

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