Robotic Explorer for Hypothesized Surfaces – Out of Our Psyche

INSTITUTION

Arizona State University (ASU)

CLASS

Platinum Class (2025 – 2026)

STUDENT TEAM

ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project addresses the challenge of designing a rover capable of operating under the extreme surface conditions on the asteroid Psyche. Its environment consists of low gravity, rigid metallic terrain, and severe cold environments. Traditional designs are not optimized for these conditions, particularly in maintaining traction and stability on uneven metallic surfaces. To address this, Team 34 developed a novel rover concept featuring an adaptive “wheg” (wheel-leg hybrid) locomotion system that can conform to irregular terrain while maintaining efficient rolling performance. The design integrates mechanical articulation, thermal management, and electrical control systems into a modular architecture intended for reliable operation in Psyche’s environment.

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This work was created in partial fulfillment of the Arizona State University Capstone Course “EGR 401.” The work is a result of the Psyche Student Collaborations component of NASA’s Psyche Mission (https://psyche.ssl.berkeley.edu). “Psyche: A Journey to a Metal World” [Contract number NNM16AA09C] is part of the NASA Discovery Program mission to solar system targets. Trade names and trademarks of ASU and NASA are used in this work for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by Arizona State University or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of ASU or NASA.