CableCat Powering the PSR
Objectives & Technical Approach
- Establish power infrastructure to the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) on the lunar surface of scientific interest.
- Extend the missions of science robots operating within a PSR by providing a power supply station and relieving the burden that they be 100% self-sufficient.
- Develop an autonomous 2-wheeled spool (rover) to navigate into the desired a PSR, unspooling the power/data cable.
- The design of the spool guarantees it always in right posture while traveling on uncertain terrain.
Team
Title | Name | |
Team Lead | Andrew Barth (PhD Student) | |
Mechanical Design | Changchun Wu, Jiaqi Wang, Junming Shan, Qiyong Yang | |
Lunar Environment | Tim Hammer, Michael Saxer | |
Control, Stabilization | Prithev Govindasamy Srinivasan | |
Prototype Construction | Caleb Bisig | |
Cable Design | Trent Gatz | |
Navigation & Mapping | William Kelly, Michael Burgess, Daniel Shircliff | |
Cameras | Selena Laikos, Vincent Iskander | |
Faculty Advisors | Dr. Ou Ma, Dr. Janet Dong, Dr. Shabaan Abdallah |
Project Status
- Completed system design and analysis
- Completed a ready-to-build design
- Prototype work on hold due to COVID19 shutdown
Publications
- A. Barth, C. Bisig, O. Ma and J. Dong, “CableCat: An Autonomous System to Develop Power and Data Infrastructure on the Moon”, 2020 IFA International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 12-14, Dubai, October , 2020.
- A. Barth, C. Bisig, O. Ma and J. Dong, “Prototype design …”, to be submitted to AIAA ASCEND 2020.