The University Rover Challenge (URC) contest was held, for the eighth time, in an American desert in Utah, near the Mars analog research station called Mars Society. Within three days, the students, controlling remotely their robots, had to perform very complicated tasks including territorial diagnosis, searching for the evidence of life in the samples of soil and delivering a medical package to the injured astronaut. High temperature, dust, and low humidity were a real challenge for both the machines and people.
Polish constructors once again proved that they can compete successfully in the fields of mobile robotics, and apart from having aspirations, they also have some qualifications to explore space. We are even gladder because of that, as we will be hosting teams from around the world in Poland in September, during the first European edition of the contest – says Łukasz Wilczyński from Mars Society, organizer of the European Rover Challenge – the victory of Polish students is a huge prestige for Polish science and a great chance for the constructors. We hope that Polish teams will repeat their success in our country.
European Rover Challenge will take place in Podzamcze Chęcińskie and will be held from the 5th to the 7th of September 2014. Twenty five teams from around the world signed up for the competition. Amongst them are 12 teams from Poland.
More information on: Rover Challenge
Photo © Mars Society