Testing the Rover and Practicing for the Competition

Testing the Rover and Practicing for the Competition

What would NASA do to test a mars rover? They would create a simulated Martian environment and test their rover in it!

Create a prototype rover and experiment

Put different kinds of wheels on your rover and test it on an incline. See which wheels climb the best.
Try tracks and wheels on your rover to see which provides the best stability and manuverability.

Simulate the competition

Create your own rock collecting course
Simulate different rock collecting problems

Rock is next to a wall. Can your collector grab it?
Rock is at the edge of a cliff. Don't push it over the cliff!
Rock is in a depression. Can your collector reach down far enough?
Rock is in a crater. Can your rover drive into the crater or can your collector reach it from outside the crater?

Create your own hill climb
Practice blind driving around an obstacle course.