Alabama Astrobotics is a student design team at the University of Alabama formed in 2009 with the purpose of designing and building a robot to compete in NASA's annual Robotic Mining Competition.
The CompetitionThe purpose of the competition is to design and build a robot to support life in space on the surface of the Moon. The Moon's surface contains a buried material called icy regolith. This material contains water that can be harvested and used to support life on the moon. During the competition, our robot must traverse an arena which simulates the lunar surface, dig for gravel, and deposit it in a collection bin.
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The TeamAlabama Astrobotics is divided into three main sub-teams: Mechanical, Electrical, and Software. The Mechanical team designs and builds the robot, Electrical handles all the wiring of the robot, and Software programs the robot to traverse the arena autonomously. Most of the members on our team are in the College of Engineering, but anyone can join the team.
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National ChampionsThe Astrobotics Team is highly decorated in awards from the annual competition. We have won first place six times in the ten previous years of the competition, the last five times in a row.
Championship Years: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012 |
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OutreachIn a addition to building our robot, the team leads many outreach events both on the University's campus and in the surrounding area. We strive to share our love for space and robotics with younger students and encourage them to get involved in STEM.
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Resources
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NASA RMC InformationAlabama Astrobotics competes in NASA's Robotic Mining Competition, a competition in which university-level students design and build a mining robot that can traverse the simulated Lunar chaotic terrain.
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