Hopkinauts Mars Rover Team

As the Mechanical Subteam Lead for the Hopkinauts Mars Rover Team at Johns Hopkins University, I led a team of more than 20 students in designing and building the rover’s frame, robotic arm, and life-detection science box for the University Rover Challenge (URC). Our team was organized into three groups: Chassis, Arm, and Life Detection.

For the Chassis, we created a lightweight, modular 80/20 aluminum frame connected with custom waterjet-cut brackets. The chassis also incorporated a rocker-bogie suspension system and 3D printed TPU wheels. All structural components were verified through FEA using Ansys.

For the Arm, we designed a 6-DOF carbon fiber robotic arm equipped with custom cycloidal gearboxes and a precision end effector. Each of the six joints used brushless DC motors controlled by a Raspberry Pi, giving the arm high torque density and precise motion control.

Our Life Detection system used a drilling mechanism to collect soil samples that were transferred into cuvettes for onsite chemical testing and spectroscopy. The system included multiple linear actuators and a custom peristaltic pump. Through these mechanisms, our team achieved an 80 percent life-detection accuracy.

In addition to my engineering work, I also helped raise 25,000 dollars through sponsorships and donations. Our team presented the rover at JHU Design Day 2025 and JHU Physics Day 2025.