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Rover Competition

Project Director for Team Rovus, managing rover development and leading mechanical design efforts for Mars rover competitions.

Project Description

As the Project Director of Team Rovus, I led the design and integration of a competition-ready Mars-style rover, managing both technical development and team coordination. I directly supervised 10 mechanical designers within a team of over 30 students across robotics, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering.

Over multiple competition seasons, I contributed to the design and iteration of major subsystems, including the robotic arm, rocker-bogie suspension, and wheel assemblies, ensuring all components were designed with DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturing & Assembly) principles in mind.

Results:
🥇 1st place – CRQRC 2024
🥉 3rd place – CRQRC 2025
🏅 5th place – CIRC 2023 & 2024

Key Points

📊

Project Management

  • Led a 30-person team; directly managed 10 mechanical designers
  • Used GitHub Projects for task tracking and sprint planning
  • Coordinated integration across mechanical, electrical, and software
🦾

Robotic Arm & Mechanical Design

  • Designed 3 arm versions focused on weight, cost, precision, and DFM/DFA
  • Used Onshape for 3D design, motion and load simulations
  • Sized DC, BLDC, and servo motors for ~6 RPM torque demands
  • Validated reach envelopes and mechanical clearances
  • Applied modular design for easy assembly and part reuse
⚙️

Suspension & Mobility

  • Developed rocker-bogie chassis with carbon fiber and aluminum
  • Designed custom wheels using PLA, TPU, and Nylon blends
  • Tested traction and flexibility on varied terrain setups

Electronics Integration

  • Integrated 4-layer PCBs into mechanical assemblies
  • All logic handled by ESP32; full Mini-ATX PC onboard
  • Planned mechanical fit, cable routing, and cooling

Technologies

Robotic Arm Design PCB Assembly & Debug Materials Engineering Project Leadership Competitive Robotics