Overview
The Carleton Planetary Robotics Team (CPRT) is Carleton’s one and only robotics team, uniting over 100 active members over a shared love for this passion project. We aim to build and perfect an autonomous rover capable of performing traversal, arm dexterity, search and rescue and environmental assessment tasks, among others.
In the past, CPRT has competed in many rover competitions, often placing on the podium. Unfortunately, the pandemic dismantled the team, and we were unable to compete until last year. We have since made a speedy recovery and are ready to come back swinging. We have sent our team with our first new rover, Dug, to the Canadian International Rover Challenge in August 2024, placing 2nd in Canada and 1st in the environmental assessment task. We also ranked the highest among the first-year teams. With a new zest for competition, CPRT is planning to compete in both the University Rover Challenge and the Canadian International Rover Challenge next year, and we have no doubt that last year’s performance will provide a strong foundation for securing a position on the podium this year.
The Background
We teach any interested students about the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the robotics field through the design and construction of our rover. We focus on honing skills often overlooked in the classroom, such as mechatronic, mechanical, and electrical design, as well as machine manufacturing, software integration, and advanced scientific analysis techniques, all while considering research and reporting constraints.
Our membership includes students in a variety of both STEM and non-STEM fields, as we believe that not only STEM, but also robotics, is for everyone.
It is a massive interdisciplinary project that aims to foster an interest in robotics in students of all disciplines and levels, and teach them invaluable skills that they will use throughout their careers. Simply put, we are a student-led initiative, working to share our combined experience to cultivate future pioneers of planetary robotics.
The Rollout
All funds donated to this project will be put towards making the best rover possible for this year’s competitions, and show the rover world what CPRT has to offer. We work tirelessly to build a reliable rover, and your donation will help cover the cost to build it and send our team to the prestigious University Rover Challenge this year.
Designing and manufacturing a functional rover is very expensive: the materials alone cost $30 000, as it has to endure rigorous conditions in Mars-like environment while keeping pace with new advancements in the field of robotics. A large part of the costs associated with the team are not on our rover at all, but rather go into its production. Research, manufacturing, maintenance and purchase of new tools and parts, and licensing fees constitute a large part of our budget. Donations such as yours allow us to explore innovative solutions to current challenges, such as alternatives to chemical analysis in our science tasks.
Providing our students with the opportunity to attend competitions is another key consideration: while we aim to make our team as accessible as possible, competition fees are steep and transportation costs place a heavy financial burden on students. An international trip to Utah for the University Rover Challenge includes travel, accommodation, transportation of the rover and hundreds of other necessary logistical expenses that are only possible due to sponsorships and generous Future Funder donations. It is with your help that we will be able to represent Carleton at an international level.
The Impact
Our team is a space for people that share a common interest in robotics to learn practical skills and knowledge through the construction of our rover that will transfer to their future careers, such as industry standard tools and practices. It offers students hands-on experience that they cannot get in a classroom, particularly in manufacturing and design. We provide students with opportunities to put curriculum concepts into practice, like 3D point-cloud to cost-map generation and utilizing engineering design processes.
Their involvement in a year-long project, surrounded by passionate and knowledgeable peers, engages students in a steadfast community that they can turn to for support with projects, ideas, or academics that welcomes them without judgment.
We keep our bay door open to encourage students to approach and talk to members. CPRT is a design team that makes our members’ time at Carleton an unforgettable, meaningful and invaluable experience, and we strive to make it accessible to as many students as possible.