Navigation and Optimized Support Rover
Daniel Hidalgo, Corey Golcman, Elijah Reid, William E. Jr. Garrett, Anish Hariharan, Ryan Mathews, Talha Ibrahim, Jedidiah Isreal, Mateo Albrecht, Shalya Jha, Abel Gizaw · 2025
This paper presents the design and development of a low-maintenance, modular lunar rover for long-term service and maintenance operations on the Moon. The rover is engineered for extended durability (~1 year) low-backlash cycloidal drive systems, and solarresistant materials to minimize wear and maintenance. Key features include a 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arm capable of lifting 50 kg (81 N under lunar gravity). To ensure autonomous operation in a dynamic lunar environment, the rover integrates advanced sensors, including a Zed Mini Camera, Micro Lidar sensors, and IMU modules, controlled by a Jetson Nanobased system. Autonomous navigation and payload manipulation are enabled through computer vision models trained on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), with PID-controlled dynamic adjustments. The rover is powered by a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, allowing for hot-swappable operation and extended activity. Additionally, Gazebo simulations will be used to refine control algorithms before deployment. This design aims to enhance long-term operational efficiency and reduce logistical costs for sustained lunar exploration.