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The Rover - The Mission
University Rover Competition
The University Rover Challenge (URC) is an international robotics competition where university teams design, build, and operate Mars-analog rovers to complete tasks such as autonomous navigation, equipment servicing, and science operations in realistic mission environments. Yonder Dynamics is UC San Diego’s official URC project team, responsible for developing a fully functional rover from the ground up, including mechanical systems, robotic arm, mobility, electronics, and controls, to compete annually against top engineering universities.
The Missions:
Science: Extract soils sample for life
Delivery: Deliver objects to waypoints
Equipment Servicing: Service various terminals (Type on Keyboard)
Autonomous Navigation: Navigate to waypoints
2025-2026 Rover
TOP Level Assembly 2026 - Onshape/Solidworks
TOP Level ARM 3.0 2026 - Onshape/Solidworks
2024-2025 Rover
TOP Level Assembly 2025- Onshape/Solidworks
ARM 2.0 2025 - At Design Innovation Building UCSD
My Projects:
My work:
All Top Level Assemblies
ARM 3.0
Ideation End to End
Linear Slide
Perception Mast
Motor Module
Base
Motor Module
Arm Assembly
ARM 2.0
Hand 1.0 and Hand 2.0
Wrist
Elbow Rework
Shoulder Rework
Drill Elevator
2 Stage Cascade
Chassis Rework/CAD
ARM 2.0
ARM 2.0
5-axis robotic arm consisting of a base, shoulder, elbow, differential wrist, and hand, designed for a 5 kg payload with a factor of safety of 2.5. Constructed from rectangular tube structural members and integrated joint modules. Actuated using CM AKE60 and REV NEO V1.1 motors driven by ODrive motor controllers.
ARM 2.0- Onshape/Solidworks
ARM 3.0
ARM 3.0
6-axis robotic arm consisting of a linear slide base, rotating base, shoulder, elbow, wrist pitch, and wrist roll (in development). Integrated with a perception mast supporting the arm and rover perception system. Constructed using integrated motor modules and circular structural members, with future transition to carbon fiber tubing planned. Designed to fully collapse into a horizontal configuration for transport and storage.
ARM 3.0 - Onshape/Solidworks
Drill Elevator
Drill Elevator
2-stage drill elevator driven by a CM AKE60 motor, consisting of a primary stage and carriage stage. Utilizes a chain drive for the first stage and a low-creep string system for the carriage stage to achieve vertical extension. Designed to deploy the drill into the ground during operation and retract it above the rover for transport and stowage.
Drill Elevator- Onshape/Solidworks
Motor Modules
Motor Modules
Modular integrated motor module designed as a standardized joint solution for current and future rover arms. Features a machined harmonic drive holder (100:1 reduction) and a swappable 3D-printed motor housing to allow rapid motor changes and compatibility across multiple motor sizes and form factors. Includes an integrated motor controller, encoder, and fuse board within the module. Utilizes a custom coupler to interface the outrunner motor to the harmonic drive. Deployed on Arm 2.0 for validation and implemented across Arm 3.0 as the primary joint architecture.
Motor Module- Onshape/Solidworks
Chassis Rework
Chassis Rework
Complete re-CAD of the rover chassis in Onshape after identifying dimensional inaccuracies between the legacy CAD and the manufactured hardware. Rebuilt the suspension system and created a fully defined top-level assembly, which did not previously exist. Established an accurate chassis master model for integration into all rover assemblies, enabling reliable geometry checks, packaging validation, and subsystem design using verified dimensions.
Chassis - Onshape/Solidworks
Lead Mechanical Engineer
My Role:
Identify potential projects by analyzing subsystems and identifying required rework, then initialize projects based on this analysis and create design specifications to meet organizational and external criteria. Establish Verification & Validation (V&V) controls and documentation, train members, and assign projects to both team members and myself while managing V&V activities through document controls (PI, DS, ER, VR). Manage the CAD library, system architecture, version control, and top-level assemblies, and implement my own design projects. Oversee project management of design implementation and manufacturing, both internally and through external vendors.
Yonder QCDB:
I created a Quality Control Database, consisting of a lean document based control system that utilizes 4 stages of documentation:
PI (Project Initialization)
DS (Design Spec)
ER (Engineering Report)
VR (Validation Report)
V&V activities occur in ER (Verification of Implementation included) and VR occurs when a process is not 100% verifiable.
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