Further articles
WECANT – Sensor Network
To make sure the rover is moving into a direction less dependent on third-party boards, we are developing a new sensor network called WECANT. The name is an abbreviation of the technologies used: Wired Ethernet CAN Adaptive Network Topology. Its purpose is to connect different sensors and actuators into the…
I’ve got the POWER!
Based on the experience gained on the ERC23, the FHNW Rover Team has planned various revisions. The most significant change is to double the system supply voltage from the unregulated battery voltage around 24V to 48V. This allows us to have a more powerful drivetrain. To achieve a longer operating…
Chassis V3.0
Looking ahead to the ERC24, the FHNW Rover Team has planned many innovations and revisions, which also place new demands on the rover’s chassis. Some of these requirements include more space inside the chassis, a new mounting point for the upcoming drivetrain and the integration of a system that allows…
The Story of the lonely Rover
A long time ago, or as other people would say last September, our Rover Thommen returned from Kielce, Poland. He had a good time with all his friends and family there, but shortly after, he got lonely. He sought new family members and found seven new young students willing to…
We did it! ERC 2023 is over.
After a stressed and long weekend in Kielce the ERC 2023 ended. During the Final Ceremony the winner of the ERC and the Best Team Award of every Task got announced. As the Final Ceremony started, the tension rose. Did we put enough effort into the project? Or could we…
Finally, the World Finals have started
After our long study break, where we had enough time to finalize our Rover, we arrived in Kielce, Poland, for the World Finals of the European Rover Challenge 2023. After a long drive, we unloaded the vehicles and tested our Rover on the Mars Yard. During the ERC, we have…
Drone: Experiencing the Next Dimension
Our Drone in real-lifeOur newest addition to the rover is our drone. The main goal of the drone is to take pictures from places the rover can’t get to, such as the top of a volcano or similar places. Furthermore, it must fly completely autonomous, which includes starting and landing…
How have the software engineers settled into the project?
Our Computer Science studentsSince the start of the spring semester of 2023, the rover team got six new team members. They are not electrical or mechanical engineering students but computer science students. Unlike the existing team members, they are also part-time students. So they work at least 50% of their…