This is my new robot: The Mars Rover NXT/VEX Hybrid with Rocker-Bogie suspension. Both the robot and the joystick were controlled by NXT bricks and RobotC.

The Robot uses 6 regular motors, 6 servos, a VEX Camera, and a set of Vex Lights.

The video is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vv0Zb9I6sA

If you like it or want details for the robot and remote control, please leave a comment at Youtube.

New videos will be posted this week.

Thank you!!!

Regards,

Francisco E. Alves

That is AWESOME! Nice job. It seems to go off-roading with no issues.

Thank you. Here is a new video of the robot being demonstrated at the National Space Foundation. The robot can go over rocks too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrGTG8O98f8

I hope you like it.

Francisco.

I'm actually putting together the blog post about this. Do you mind answering a few questions about it? I want to put a little bit more detail into the post:

1) What inspired you to build the robot?
2) How long did it take to make?
3) What are your future plans with the robot?

Thanks!

Hello vnguyen,

First of all I would like to thank you for blogging about the Mars Robot and I also would like to apologize to you for not responding sooner.

I am a graduate Computer Science student and robotics is one of my interests. I am teaching robotics for kids in Colorado Springs through Trailblazer Elementary School. My students’ age range from 6 to 11 years old, and this is the first year that they were studying with me. We were inspired to build the Mars Rover robot by the Space Foundation - SF, which is located in Colorado Springs, CO. Through a grant with Boeing, the Space Foundation has donated 2 NXT robotics kit to our school, and I myself gave the Vex Kit for the students. Then, the SF challenged us to build a demo robot using some of the materials they have provided and the Mars Rover was our first big project.

The students spent about a week researching the design of the robot structure. It took 2 weeks to put it together and 2 more weeks to program the robot using Robot C. We also used the NXTSERVO-V2 form Mindsensors.com to control the robot's 12 motors, 2 Lights, and camera.
Thank you.

Francisco Eduardo M. C. Alves

The robot is going to be used by Trailblazer Elementary as a basic platform were the students can study and develop more sophisticated applications for robot motion, control, and path tracking. Also, the robot is going to receive electronic probes and an arm that will allow it to perform scientific experiments like soil testing, weather, light and etc. The Robot's remote control was built using Lego parts and a NXT brick, also programmed with Robot C.

If you would like to have any more information about the robot and Trailblazer Elementary, please let me know. Also, I will be happy to provide you with more detailed pictures of the robot and the remote. Once again, thank you for demonstrating our robot in your website. This is helping even more to motivate our kids and propel STEM education.

Thank you.

Francisco Eduardo M. C. Alves

All the work that we are doing is volunteer work. We started with one teacher and one school (Trailblazer) and 16 kids in the beginning of 2011. Now, with the help of graduate students from Colorado Technical University - CTU, the IEEE chapter from that school, and help from companies like the Space Foundation and MITRE, we are expanding to 40 kids and 3 schools by the end of the year. We are also willing to help teachers from Elementary, Middle, and High schools, who are willing to take robotics to the classroom as means to facilitate science to their students and to motivate them towards STEM education. Most of the schools have neither materials nor budget to start a robotics club. We are surviving with small donations and volunteer work. If you or anyone is interested in helping, please let us know.

In the little time we have been working with these kids both their regular teachers and parents are noticing improvement in the kid’s interest towards science and in their grades. For us, the CTU volunteers (students and IEEE members), this is a way to gain work experience and give back to the community.

Once again, thank you for your post. You have already helped us a lot by spreading the word about our robot.

Regards,

Francisco Eduardo M. C. Alves
CTU IEEE Vice-Chair
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Here is a photo of the remote control built by my students to control the Mars Rover robot. All the movements, lights, and camera are activated from the remote.

I have also included some photos of the robot being demonstrated at the Space Foundation's Mars Yard, in their headquaters in Colorado Springs, CO.

By the way, thank you very much for updating your blog.

Francisco.