Space Exploration Exhibit Features Three CSU Mechanical Engineering Projects
The space industry sponsored the 3rd annual Space Exploration Conference and Exhibit on February 26-28, 2008 at the Colorado Convention Center. The 2008 conference theme was 50 Years of Space Exploration: Taking the Next Giant Leap. Three team projects from Colorado State University were on display at the Future Leaders Reception held in conjunction with the conference on Wednesday evening. The reception is designed to introduce today’s leaders to tomorrow’s workforce.
Good Samaritan Urban Search and Rescue
The Good Samaritan Urban Search and Rescue project is a four-year effort at CSU to push the edge for search and rescue robot technology. The Good Samaritan team currently is developing four robots at scales from 2.5 ft to 6 inches. Features of various robots include a 5 degree of freedom camera arm, a thermal imaging system, low light cameras, CO2 detection, and custom carbon fiber composite construction. The team’s most notable success was in 2006 when Colorado State placed second in the U.S. Championship and 4th in the World Championship for urban search and rescue robots. This project is almost exclusively designed and built by undergraduate mechanical engineering students at CSU.
RoverSat
The RoverSat project is at the forefront of space exploration. CSU undergraduate students have created an autonomous rover that is capable of maneuvering around various terrains. The rover will be launched on a weather balloon to 100,000 feet and descend back to earth on a parachute. The rover must be designed to function at low temperatures and pressures, withstand the effects from ascent and descent, and detect landing and deploy autonomously. The CSU RoverSat for the 2007 DemoSat program was the first rover to successfully autonomously deploy in the history of the program. The RoverSat project is part of the NASA CSU Space Grant Consortium.
Autonoram UAV
The Autonoram UAV Project is also part of a NASA Space Grant Internship program. This project is a student effort to create a versatile radio-controlled aircraft capable of autonomous control and navigation, as well as precisely controlling an onboard camera. The payload capabilities were created to be modular in nature, and the flight computer was created from off-the-shelf electronics. The success of this aircraft is a stepping stone towards improving the use of autonomous aircraft for a wider breadth of research possibilities.