Rover End-Effector and Science Hardware

The Oregon State Mars Rover team designs and builds a rover for outdoor competition. I joined in spring 2026 and started on the science subsystem, designing hardware to hold the spectrometer and sample flasks. I now lead the team designing a new end-effector for the rover's arm.

The goal is a gripper that gives the arm more dexterity and can handle a wider range of tasks than the current design. The project is in the research and early design stage. Right now that means:

• Researching gripper designs and actuation approaches that fit the arm's payload and packaging limits
• Defining requirements with the team based on the tasks the rover needs to perform
• Organizing the design work and splitting it up among team members

• Spectrometer enclosure. Designed and iterated a protective enclosure in Fusion 360, defining the mechanical interfaces, mounting geometry, component clearances, and fabrication constraints.
• Flask clamp. Designed a clamping mechanism to hold soil-water slurry samples during pump-driven testing and material transfer. It holds the flask firmly but is still quick to load and unload.
• Integration. Worked on tolerance analysis and mounting strategies with teammates to improve rigidity, manufacturability, and serviceability for off-road driving.

• Vibration and shock. Everything has to survive driving over rough ground, not just sit on a bench.
• Space and weight. Each subsystem competes for a limited share of the rover's packaging and mass budget.
• What the club can make. Parts have to be designed around the tools and materials the club actually has.