Martian Soil Analysis Module

I led a team of 10 in the design, manufacture, and testing of a Martian Soil Analysis Module for the URC 22 competition's Science Mission. This module mounts onto the R3 Mars rover with the ultimate goal of determining if life exists on Mars.

The 2022 Science mission required teams to collect and analyze an unknown number of soil and rock samples scattered around the competition ground within 45 minutes. The results and conclusions were to be presented to a panel of judges at the end of the collection and analysis period. There are only a handful of Martian missions that have performed in-situ analyses of Martian soil, so there are very few examples to study and take inspiration from. Thus, this challenge encouraged teams to develop novel solutions for in-situ Martian soil analysis, which I found very interesting and is what compelled me to lead this project.

The module performs a life detection protocol developed by R3's life detection team, which involves extracting proteins and lipids from soil samples and detecting their presence using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The existence, or lack thereof, of proteins and/or lipids indicates the potential existence of life. The module also consists of a 3DOF arm with a microscope camera attachment to analyze rock samples.

This project was a huge balancing act - we had to maximize the accuracy of the experiment while minimizing mechanical complexity. Ultimately, we arrived at a process that can complete the protocol in 15 mechanical steps. The module consists of 13 motors (an assortment of stepper, servo, and DC motors depending on the application) which were controlled using a pair of Teensy 4.1 boards. The module interfaces with the rover's control system and is controlled wirelessly by the rover operator from the base station.