Kalman left competitors behind in missions: Search & Rescue, Traversal+, Water Redirection, and Arm Dexterity. The AGH University students perfectly prepared themselves for all the tasks by adapting the rover’s construction and introducing numerous improvements. One of them, which was particularly appreciated by the judges, was the so-called sun, i.e.
a special light source placed on the vehicle to provide additional lighting in difficult night conditions. The students were great at precise control of the robotic arm and swiftly switched to the approved manual control of the rover in case of difficulties with autonomy.
However, it was not without problems, as during the Traversal+ mission Kalman fell while trying to autonomously go up a steep incline. Due to an only 40-seconds-long intervention of the team members, this incident did not influence the following parts of the mission. The smooth rescue action was recognised by the judges, and the team proved that they are capable of making quick decisions.
“The four-day-long contest was a real challenge, but stepping out of our comfort zones turned out to be a valuable experience and definitely verified our solutions,” the students conclude. “We would like to thank all those who made this trip possible and showed their support. Together we make a unique team, the potential of which is as endless as the outer space. We will surely try to prove it again in September during the European Rover Challenge 2023.”
The Canadian International Rover Challenge 2023 took place in August 11–14, 2023 in Drumheller, Alberta. As many as 17 teams from all over the world participated in the competition. The second place was awarded to Husky Robotics from the University of Washington, and the third one to Raptors – the representation of Lodz University of Technology.