Mars Rover Manipulator

I designed components for a lightweight six-axis rover arm, using stress simulation with a factor of safety of 5. I also developed and simulated Python control logic and contributed to mechanical assembly for arm integration.

Objective: Support the development of a lightweight rover manipulator by balancing structural rigidity and mass, while contributing to the control and mechanical integration of the arm.

My role: Component design, control simulation and mechanical assembly. European Rover Challenge · SETU research project. Supervisor: Andrew Keppel.

My contribution: Designed components in SolidWorks and Fusion 360. Used stress simulation to assess rigidity and mass with a factor of safety of 5. Developed and simulated Python control logic. Contributed to mechanical assembly to support arm integration.

Mechanical design: SolidWorks and Fusion 360 supported component design for the six-axis arm. My role focused on components within the wider university rover project.

Structural assessment: Stress simulation informed the balance between rigidity and mass. The CV reports a factor of safety of 5; the loading assumptions and component-level results are not yet included here.

Control and assembly: I developed and simulated control logic in Python and contributed to mechanical assembly, connecting the design work with the arm’s integration.

Scope: The factor of safety relates to the reported stress-simulation work. Payload, positioning accuracy, physical load testing and competition performance are not documented here, so no claims are made about those outcomes.