1. BP1 Mars Rover
Team Members: Faculty Advisors:
Rafael Alvarez
Nick Anderssohn
Marcus Blaisdell
Ian Brabb
Scott Bredberg
James Feller
Justin Lam
Heidi Lyons
Tim Pizzino
Jensen Reitz
Yuer Shen
Tucker Stone
Nick Strazis
Malcolm Wynn
Sun Yiwei
Dr. Kshitij Jerath
Dr. John Swensen
Dr. Matthew Taylor

2. 1 Introduction
Washington State University is excited to announce our entry into the 2016 NASA
RASC-AL Robo-Ops competition with our new and improved rover, the BP1. The rover
team is split into three subgroups each of which has a team lead who bring with them
unique knowledge and technical ability to advance the design to a competitive level. In
addition to our own abilities, we have the support of three advisors who have
experience with complex systems, robotics, and programming. Our extensive access to
WSU’s state of the art manufacturing and design facilities, ensure we can complete the
task of manufacturing the BP1 from the ground up. Also developed is a timeline to
identify deadlines and help us track our progress while making sure we meet all of our
technical objectives. The major systems of our rover have been meticulously designed
by their respective teams to achieve the tasks assigned to us in the Robo-Ops
competition. In addition to the main goal of completing an effective rover to compete
with it is also our goal to spread our knowledge and experience to the community
around us through various community outreach programs.
2 WSU Robotics Club Rover Team
Team Leads:
The WSU Mars Rover team is comprised of
three primary sub-teams to allow for the direct
communication of ideas on a system level.
These primary groups are mechanical,
electrical, and the communications & and
programing systems. We feel that organizing
the team in this manner will allow for the
sharing of information across the primary
teams while a member from each group assists
with particular tasks on the rover itself. The system leads of each of the primary teams
have extensive experience with each of their groups and have been presented below.
The leader of our WSU Mars Rover team is Tucker Stone, a mechanical
engineering junior. Tucker has been an active member of the Rover team since it was
started in August of 2014, he has experience designing key components for the Mars
Rover and gained project management experience through an internship he completed
at Sikorsky Aircraft during the summer of 2015. Tucker also has experience in building
custom mountain bicycles and the troubleshooting, maintenance, repair of his
motorcycles, cars and bicycles.
Tim Pizzino, the mechanical team lead is a senior in mechanical engineering,
has experience manufacturing parts designed in SolidWorks at a machine shop at
WSU, and was an active member of the 2014 Rover team. Tim also has extensive
knowledge in designing parts for 3-Dimensional printing through personal projects
completed on his custom built printer.
Justin Lam is our electrical lead and was also the electrical lead for the Rover
team last Semester. Justin is a sophomore in electrical engineering and has experience
building tabletop robots and designing electrical systems for quadcopters.

3. Our communications and programing team lead, Marcus Blaisdell, is a
sophomore in computer science and has gained experience in the WSU Robotics club
by programing a vision controlled robotic arm using serial controlled servos. Marcus has
three years of experience working with Arduino microcontrollers, servos and motors. He
has experience with the Python, C, and C++ programming languages and the Linux
operating system.
At WSU the rover team is part of the Robotics club, so in addition to the rover
team we have nearly 30 other students that we can bounce ideas off and ask for help in
their specific area of interest and expertise. One of the most successful and robust
teams related to the Robotics club is the RoboSub team. The RoboSub team has
multiple years of experience in creating autonomous robotic submarines and has
offered technical help to the Mars Rover team wherever we may need assistance.
Advisors:
The Rover team has three advisors, Dr. Matthew Taylor, Dr. John Swensen (researched
wheeled robots as an undergrad) and Dr. Kshitij Jerath. Dr. Taylor has been an advisor
for the Robotics Club for two years and actively researches many different aspects of
Robotics. Dr. Swensen researches high degree-of-freedom and continuum robotic
systems and Dr. Jerath researches multi-agent systems and robotic ensembles. Dr.
Taylor is part of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science while Dr.
Swensen and Dr. Jerath are both part of the School of Mechanical and Materials
Engineering. All three of our advisors have research in areas relating to robotics and are
a great asset to the Mars Rover team.
Facilities:
Our primary workspace is the Intelligent Robot
Learning Laboratory, which is used by the WSU
robotics club as collaborative design, assembly,
and activity space for the range of project
groups that exist within the robotics club
umbrella. This room is often used to host
regularly scheduled club functions such as
tutorials and lessons to teach the basics of
robotics and engineering. For our purposes this
room will serve as a meeting place for general discussions about the rover project and
presentations or demonstrations to our mentors and donors.
WSU maintains several computer labs providing critical software for the success
of our efforts. These include the WSU Solidworks Lab, which provides 24 hour access
to 30 machines with full versions of Solidworks, Matlab, and other useful engineering
software. This lab will be used by members of the team to design and simulate new
parts before their fabrication and incorporation into the rover. Manufacturing these
designs will be accomplished using one of three different machine shops that are
available to the Rover team.
The Frank Innovation Zone (FIZ) is a maker space that is geared toward
student’s personal design and manufacturing while focusing on allowing student to
pursue experience outside of their regular curriculum. Funded primarily by The Raintree

4. Foundation, a foundation set up by alumnus Harold Frank, the facility has been donated
more than $1.5 million to outfit the space with industrial level 3D printers, a full
woodworking and metalworking shop as well as providing access to electronic supplies
needed for robotics projects. The rover team will primarily use this space for prototyping
and producing new parts using Stratasys 3D printers available for free to the Mars
Rover team.
For more robust manufacturing options the Coug-
Shop is a fully outfitted machine shop that is run by Robert
Hutchinson as a full time machine shop professor. The shop
is outfitted with multiple HAAS vertical mills and lathes, as
well as a numerous manual mills, lathes, and a multitude of
other manufacturing apparatuses. These tools combined with
a suite of machining software will allow the team to produce
any parts necessary for the rover. In the case that the Coug-
Shop or our technical abilities are not enough to manufacture
a part as designed, the WSU Fabrication Shop is a full time
machine shop staffed with multiple dedicated machinists. In
addition to their technical ability, the shop also boasts a
water jet cutting machine as well as a laser cutter that is at our disposal. Combined, the
three options that we have for manufacturing will be able to produce any part needed for
the rover and we are confident that can succeed with the tools available to us.
3 Technical Objectives and Scheduling Overview
The basis for the WSU Robo-Ops vehicle’s design is to achieve efficient long distance
communication while preserving agility and dexterity to ensure our ability to attain the
maximum amount of points on the course. In addition to achieving the competition
requirements in the most efficient manner possible, we also aim to consider the viability
of each system in a real Martian biome. Based on these requirements we have
designed a rover that we believe will maximize our efficiency while simultaneously
conserve weight and energy usage. Our design will consist of a vehicle that combines
the adaptiveness of a modified six wheel rocker-bogie suspension with the structural
stability of a Bosch tubing and sheet metal body. Attached to the body will be a 4-axis
articulated arm, modified six wheel rocker-bogie suspension with milled aluminum rims
covered in a rubber outer shell.
We have developed a timeline that details specific dates for the completion of
each subsystem as well as important deadlines that must be met. Our progress in the
completion of these tasks will be constantly monitored and adjusted to ensure success
in the development and construction of the rover. To assist us in meeting our
requirements we have developed set meeting times with the entire rover team meeting
weekly on Thursday and Saturday, and each subsystem team meeting as needed
separately. To ensure that information is passed quickly throughout the team we
communicate as a group through the Slack a web app that allows the whole team will
have access to an individual’s ideas and general rover announcements.

5. Table 1: Design, Implementation, and Testing Schedule
4 Subsystem Design
Efficient communication and distribution of information is key to the success of our rover
build. For this reason we have organized our team into three sub groups each
responsible for a major system through which key bits of information can be passed
effectively. These teams are the mechanical team which is responsible for all design
and fabrication of the mechanical system, the computer science/communications team
which creates the programs that drive all functions of the rover and designs the system
for long distance communication, and the electrical team which is responsible for power
management and electrical layout.
Mechanical Subsystems:
Chassis:
Our current design calls for the main body of the rover
to have a Bosch tube frame which will be covered with
sheet metal to prevent dust and weather inclusion.
This provides a light but strong core from which all of
the systems can be stored in a tightly compact area
while still receiving enough ventilation.
Suspension:
The rover’s suspension system will consist of a six wheel custom aluminum rocker
bogie that will allow for a large range of motion in the minimal amount of space. The
suspension will be made out of bar aluminum to provide a high degree of strength while
providing a lightweight and easy to manufacture system. This suspension system will
allow the rover to traverse through the many terrains of the JSC Rockyard efficiently
and quickly.
Manipulator:
The arm we will make will be water jetted out of aluminum
and will be a four axis machine. We will move the arm
using a combination of both servos and linear actuators
to allow for the most efficient speed and controllability
when picking up the rocks. The arm will have a bucket
attached to the front with a sweeping claw to push rocks

6. into the bucket. The bucket and claw will be tested to determine the best material for
construction. Our hope is that 3D printing the claw out of ABS will prove to be
sufficiently strong.
Camera Boom:
The boom will be made from small diameter pipe and will lay flat when the rover is
compacted, it will be raised and lowered using servos which will be spring assisted to
increase rise time. The camera gimbal will be mounted on top of the boom which will
also be servo controlled allowing a full range of camera motion.
Electrical Subsystems:
Processing:
The core of the electronic control system will be our motherboard, a Gigabyte GA-
H61M-S2PU with an Intel core i7 processor. We believe using this combination of board
and processor will give up more than enough computing power to control all systems on
board the rover. A Cradlepoint IBR600 router mounted on the rover, will relay
information from the control center to the motherboard. We will be using an Arduino
Mega 2560 connected to the mother board via USB and communicating via USB-serial.
Using its PWM pins, the Arduino will control the servos. The Arduino will be
communicating to the three motor controllers via its digital pins. These motor controllers
can source two separate motors individually. Pins 0 and 1 of the Arduino should be kept
open as these are the dedicated serial communication between the Arduino and the
motherboard.

7. Power:
To power our system we will be using a single 12 volt Li-ion battery while power
regulators will distribute the power from our battery to the motherboard and other
subsystems. Where necessary power will be stepped down from 12 volts to lower
voltages such as The Arduino’s required 9 volts using a power regulator. The servos
and motor controllers will also be powered individually using secondary regulators, as
neither the Arduino nor the motherboard can provide the current required to run these
systems. The regulators will ensure a steady voltage and current is provided to the
digital controllers which are sensitive to any fluctuations in supplied power.
In addition to providing power to the system a variety of circuit types will be used in the
applied electronic system to maintain. One of which will be phase locked loops, which
guarantee the synchronization of the analog signals controlling different motors. A
power amplifier will also be needed for communication and driving purposes.
Software Subsystems:
The HUB:
Acting as the master control program the HUB will handle the flow of data and
communication between all systems connected to the rover. The HUB will be written in
C Sharp (C#) as C# is a powerful, modern language that has the ability to adapt as the
requirements for the program change with the development of other systems. The HUB
will be one of the first systems to be constructed in the development of the software
package. We feel this is necessary so the hierarchal system will be maintained as we
connect new systems through the construction of the rover.
Control System:
This system will handle the direct information being shared with the wheel, arm, and
camera control. There will be separate programs for the wheels, arms and camera for
which the HUB will send information to them individually as the rover is controlled by the
game controller. The game controller commands go to the HUB and the HUB sends
those commands to the necessary sub system. The arm, camera and controller will be
managed via the game controller. The game controller talks to the HUB. Every

8. command made by the game controller will be transmitted to the HUB and processed
accordingly.
Drive System:
The motors will be controlled by an Arduino microcontroller driving three Sabertooth
motor controllers. We chose Arduino because we have years of experience working
with that platform and are well versed in its use. The Sabertooth motor controllers were
chosen because members of our club have experience with them and so we have a
resource to help us learn how to use them.
User Interface:
The graphical user interface is a custom designed program that displays the camera
video feed and rover status in a single window on the computer screen. Among the data
that will be shown: rover speed, camera position, and arm position are a few of the most
important elements. This interface will also be written in C# using a modular, object
oriented design that will allow for customization as the needs of the mission change.
Vision System:
A Microsoft Kinect sensor will be used to aid the arm in picking up the rocks. The Kinect
includes 3-D depth sensors, a Laser Illuminator, an RGB camera, microphones, and a
motor for changing the tilt of the camera. The accuracy of the depth sensor ranges from
about +/- 1mm at close distances to +/- 5cm at longer distances. This is more than
enough accuracy for the arm to pick up the rock successfully. The RGB camera will filter
out colors in order to sense the rocks that are targets for pick up. This information will
be used so that the arm can automatically pick up the rock. Open source libraries from
the OpenKinect project will be used to program the Kinect using C#.
Communication Subsystem:
Communication between the rover and mission control will be done over the internet via
an onboard Cradlepoint IBR600 wireless modem mounted on the rover and the WSU
internet network. We chose the IBR600 due to its reputation as a powerful modem
commonly used in corporate office buildings to communicate through walls. We believe
this will be a feasible option for the long distance communication between the rover and
the central computing system that will be maintained on the WSU campus.
In addition to the wireless modem we will be using a cellular 4g internet card in the
motherboard as backup. If during the competition one of the communication systems
experiences excessive lag, the communications system will switch to the other device in
hopes that it will provide a better connection.

9. 5 Public Outreach Plan
Undoubtedly as important to us as the
competition itself, an opportunity exists
to share the knowledge we have learned
and engage the community in the areas
of science and technology. Working
closely with the WSU Robotics Club we
plan to utilize the rover in teaching area
elementary, middle, and high school
students about robotics through
specifically designed workshops that teach the basic skills needed to develop intricate
robotics systems. Thus far we have hosted the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts in events
designed to increase their interest in the STEM fields. In a one on one workshop setting
we have participated in tutorials including the construction of simple circuits, the basics
of computer programming, introductory and advanced CAD based design,
manufacturing processes such as 3D printing, and the construction of simple Lego
Mindstorm robots. Going forward we will utilize the rover as a demonstration device
which will provide a powerful experience by providing direct access to not only the
vehicle itself, but also the collective knowledge of every member of the team. By doing
this, we aim to create a pathway and dialogue between the community and our team
that will enable those interested and those involved to increase their knowledge of
robotic development and construction. Additionally the use of social media to continue
the dialogue will be used as another method of information transfer by providing
updates on the rover to the Palouse community, we can also share WSU research
relevant to the robotics field, along with any new and exciting breakthroughs in the field
of robotics.
6 Conclusions
The Washington State University 2015 NASA RASC-AL Robo-Ops team is comprised
of talented and motivated individuals who are excited for the opportunity to prove their
ability to compete. We believe that our team contains the necessary technical abilities to
design, build, test, and ultimately succeed in competition with other Universities.
Combined with the leadership provided by senior members, our team has all the parts
of a successful team. In addition to our own skills, the proven expertise of our advisors
will allow us to tap into years of experience in the robotics and engineering fields. With
their assistance, we form a diverse team of skilled students and advisors.
The design presented above has been developed as a competitive entry to excel
in the 2016 2016 RASC-AL Robo-Ops Competition. With our current progress of the
chassis and suspension prototypes mostly completed, we are on track with our plan to
have the chassis and suspension done by the end of October. If we are selected for
sponsorship, our facilities and experience will allow us to keep up with our schedule and
have a complete and tested rover by competition time in May.