URC Science Tasks

Sampling Mechanism

Scoops

Spherical Scoop

Excavation model of soil sampling device based on particle image velocimetry.pdf

• Optimized scoop design which can scoop more and with less resistance
• Data and research to back it.

Percussive Scoop

percussive.pdf

Four Degree of Freedom Scoop

Terrain_final_report.pdf

Vacuum/Suction + Drill

Bialystok University of Technology URC Design from 2016

Versatile Soil Sampling System Capable of Collecting, Transporting, Storing and Preliminary Onboard Analysis for Mars Rover Analogue.pdf

How it works

• Drill connected to a suction system attached to a descending mechanism
• The descending mechanism lowers
• Drill collects soil
• The turbine  powers on and creates a pressure differential creating a region of low pressure inside the container
  • This transfers the soil into the container
  • From the looks of two in-situ tests are taking place inside the container to check for life
• Exhaust of turbine covered by a flap to prevent contamination when idle

Modifications:

• Completely redesign the mechanism or modify it so it can transfort soil to separate containers/test tubes for in-situ analysis

Pneumatic 

PlanetVac Design (Honeybee Robotics)

IEEE2020_P-Sampler_MMX_postreviews_v3.pdf

How it works?

• Blow gas (pure nitrogen) into the ground and capture the soil and air mixture through the excavation nozzles to the transport tube
• Works on the principle of differential pressure; fluid (air) moves from a region of high pressure to low pressure (excavation nozzle)
• Use of nozzles to increase pressure (to facilitate movement) in the P-sampler head.
• The soil-air mixture travels through the transport tube into the sampling container.
  • Air gets released into the environment through the separator in the transport tube
• 2 Solenoid valve to control the flow rate of the gas (2 actuation points)
  • N2 at a pressure of 65 psi is used

Modifications:

• Divide the transport tube into multiple tubes for testing and analysis.
• Shorten the transport tube
• Maybe add a mechanism to ascend and descend the mechanism
  • Does not hinder the rovers movement
  • Reduce sand going into the surroundings from the sample head
• Use a cheaper alternative to N2 if N2 is expensive.
• Use Dust Covers on the rover

Extreme Terrain Rover Design Pneumatic Device

soil.pdf

How it works?

• Similar to planetvac concept, instead of multiple nozzle in a sample head a singular nozzle is used
• Nozzle is place inside the sand using the four bar linkage mechanism
• CO2 air at 25 psi blows through the inlet and goes through the outlet due to pressure differential
• The air gets transported into a cyclone separator where the soil and air separates
• The soil gets collected into a sampling container
• The seals and opens using a spring

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Modifications

• Modify the cyclone separator so it divide's sand into multiple containers simultaneously
  • Or use the current test tube mechanism to move to the next test tube
• Try more designs for nozzle to make it more efficient

Claw

Current Design

Robotic Arm

Perseverance Mars Rover Design

• Quite Complex but can take inspirations for certain subsystems like regolith extraction, etc. 

The Sampling and Caching Subsystem (SCS) for the Scientific Exploration of Jezero Crater by the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.pdf

Sample Transportation and Storage

Analysis

Questions:

1. What is the budget?

   1. 2000 maybe

2. What are the physical constraints?

   1. Weight
      1. 15 kg max
   2. Dimension
      1. Old mech

3. How many members?

   1. 1 mech member? - For now
   2. Multiple? - if more members can aid in help, Ali will still lead the design

4. What sensors are we planning on using?

   1. Based on that, design will be easier
   2. What experiments are we planning on doing?
      1. How many tests per sample?

5. How are we analyzing the rocks?

   1. 1. We cannot pick it up, so possibly through spectroscopy, other cameras/filters/algorithms.

         1. Inspection: camera + microscope
            1. Page on confluence

6. Are we collecting soil from multiple sites?

   1. One test tube for each site? Multiple test tubes?
      1. One for now.
   2. Or each test tube is a different test for detecting life?

• expecting camera and/or microscope - examples found on confluence
• science is working on database (not relevant to mechanical)