Using only pasta and glue, students must design a rover that will travel down a one-meter ramp and then travel an additional one meter on a smooth, flat surface. Students use the same engineering design process that JPL engineers use to improve their designs.
The Mars rovers Spirit, Curiosity, and Opportunity have collectively driven over 35 miles on Mars. Some days a rover may drive less than one meter, or not at all. Other days may see the rover drive over 100 meters. The engineers who plan the drives, called Rover Planners, must define their criteria for success–what the rover must-do for the drive to be considered a success. They must also take into consideration the constraints that may limit the rover’s ability to successfully complete a drive. What obstacles are in the way? Is there a slope along the way? Is it too steep for the rover to safely drive? Does the terrain change partway through the drive?
Some of these things depend on which part of Mars the rover is driving through. Some are based on how the rover was built. Like Rover Planners, students in this activity will have to define what a successful drive will look like and identify the limiting factors they will face on their drive.