Recipe for a Rover - One Serving for the Moon
Welcome to today’s mechanical recipe, freshly prepared by the Adelaide Rover Team!
Most recipes are for a cup of refreshing coffee or a plate of crispy bikkies. Ours is for something a little more ambitious – a machine designed to travel across the lunar surface someday. Before diving into the behind-the-scenes magic, have a peek at our final plate Romulus, crafted from scratch, and served with passion and innovation.
Rover Romulus at the Australian Rover Challenge 2025.
Ingredients Checklist
In this mechanical masterpiece, we’ve replaced butter and sugar with lightweight aluminium and integrated tools. Here’s what contributes to one serving of Romulus:
1 web-based graphical user interface (GUI) & 1 Xbox controller –for smooth remote operation.
Stereo cameras & LiDAR – to enable autonomous navigation.
1 five-jointed robotic arm – to conduct manipulation tasks.
1 payload mounting system – ensuring adaptability during competition.
1 Jeston Nano – our small but powerful onboard computer.
Wi-Fi-based antennas & Controller Area Network (CAN) – to connect subsystems and support real-time data exchange.
*Secret Skill: Modular build – easy to swap, upgrade or season with new components.
Cookware Recommendations
Groups with clear division of responsibilities
Workshops
Mini projects
GitHub – our digital pantry for code development
Inventor & Fusion 360 – shaping every component to precision
Instructions
Don’t forget to carefully combine your ingredients for the final perfection.
Step 1: Prepare the workspace
Gather your clearly divided subsystems: the base station, GUI, camera, chassis, drive motors, wheels, payloads, robotic arm, and more.
Step 2: Mix with accuracy
Once ingredients are ready and meet all standards, it’s time to blender! Precision and collaboration are everything in this step.
The mobility system must support the mass of the scientific instruments.
The power system must supply each component with appropriate voltages and redundancy.
The software must interpret sensor inputs from across the vehicle and coordinate outputs in real time.
Step 3: Bake, test and iterate
Patience, patience and patience are necessarily required. When prototype is done, test it thoroughly, then test it again. Even a minor mismatch can ruin the whole dish. The keys to refining flavour are documentation and analysis. We highly recommend sharing lessons from each trial across teams every time to build a stronger and smoother rover.
Serving Suggestion
Whether you’re an engineering enthusiast or a future space explorer, this is the right recipe for you. Take a bite from our Romulus, start your journey with us.
Remember, our recipe isn’t finished. One serving each time and brings a new iteration, until one day our rover goes to its destination – the Moon.