ATHENE
Autonomous Terrain Handling and Environmental Navigation Experiment
ATHENE is our association’s first rover project. It primarily serves as a demonstration device for various technological aspects of a rover, such as the design of a chassis and various sensor technologies for mapping and navigation.
The rover is supported and mainly financed by a grant from the Innovation Campus Mobility of the Future, which allows us to use state-of-the-art sensors and on-board computers. It is being developed together with the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart, which already has many years of experience in the field of space robotics.
For us as an association, the rover offers an opportunity to create a platform on which we can build in the future. This platform will enable us to take part in competitions such as the ERC (European Rover Challenge) in Krakow, Poland, in a more advanced form and gain further valuable experience in the field of space robotics.
Our Payloads
InnovationsCampus – Mobility of the Future
The Innovation Campus Mobility of the Future (ICM) is a joint research initiative of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart. The aim of the ICM is to develop innovative technologies and solutions for the sustainable mobility and production of tomorrow through interdisciplinary collaboration. It pools expertise from various fields in order to actively shape change in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries.
Since its foundation in 2019, the ICM has built up an extensive innovation ecosystem. With over 130 projects and a budget of 65 million euros, it is one of the largest research initiatives for sustainable mobility and the associated production technologies.
In February 2021, the state government of Baden-Württemberg decided to fund the ICM with an additional 50 million euros to further expand research in the fields of zero-emission mobility, software-defined mobility and software-defined manufacturing. This investment underlines the importance of the ICM for the future development of mobility and production technologies and its role as a driving force for innovation in the region.
Interested?
On its website, the ICM offers a nice overview of many other projects, all of which contribute to the topic of mobility of the future.
It’s well worth a visit!
Timeline
Budget release of the ICM
Thanks to generous funding from the ICM (InnovationsCampus - Mobility of the Future), KSat can finally get started with its first rover project! The main aim is to create a lightweight rover chassis with enough sensors to enable potential autonomous navigation and inspire young researchers.
Budget-Deadline
Our financial resources must be spent by the end of the year.
Demonstration of the Rover
The rover will be used as a demonstration device at many events in the coming years. Come and visit us at Science Day, TryScience Day and many other events!
More about this Topic
Space Robotics
Space robotics plays a crucial role in the exploration of our solar system. Interplanetary exploration rovers, such as NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, have made significant contributions to Mars research in recent years. Perseverance landed on Mars in February 2021 and has since been searching for signs of past life by collecting soil samples and studying the planet’s geology. These rovers are equipped with advanced instruments that make it possible to analyze the Martian surface in detail and send valuable data back to Earth.
In Europe, the European Space Agency (ESA) contributes to interplanetary exploration with missions such as Rosetta and ExoMars. Rosetta studied the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, while ExoMars aims to study Mars for traces of life. These missions demonstrate the importance of space robotics for the understanding of celestial bodies and the search for extraterrestrial life.
The Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart is actively involved in space robotics. The Space Robotics working group develops rover systems for the exploration of planetary surfaces. The focus is on the development of rover chassis systems and technologies that can be used under the demanding conditions on planetary surfaces. The IRS is also working on mechanism design, integration and testing as well as on the development of sensor components for navigation and environmental detection.
We are looking for you!
Has ATHENE caught your interest? We are always on the lookout for new members!
No matter whether you are just starting out in your first semester or are already a space expert and no matter what you are studying: we can find an exciting position for everyone in our team. All our projects are organized in subsystems that are responsible for different sub-areas. If you already know what you want to do, get in touch with us!
Participation in ATHENE is voluntary or possible as part of the subject-related SQ Praktikum CubeSat Technik if you are studying at the University of Stuttgart. In addition, SQ participation is also possible as part of our SOURCE and SOURCE-2 projects! 3 ECTS will be credited for participation.
ATHENE Subsystems
Project Management
Our all-rounders who hold the project together. They keep an eye on deadlines, manage communication and organize team events. Experienced club members create a framework for a successful project.
Structure
The structure subsystem takes care of the mechanical part of the rover, primarily the development of the chassis. This includes the design of the wheel suspensions (in our case via three bogies), the design of the wheels and primary drives and the layout of the components in the PLC (payload cabin).
Electronics
In addition to selecting suitable components, the electronics team also takes care of the electronic design of the individual sensors and actuators as well as the overall system. Power supply, rover control, data communication and data storage are all implemented on circuit boards, some of which are developed in-house.
Software
Software that ensures rover operation and communication between the components runs on our main computer as well as on every other microcontroller. The team has to address the special challenges of the sensors and the SLAM algorithm. If the software doesn’t work, the project won’t work!
Supporters and Sponsors
