ERC 2023 Remote

Competition: European Rover Challenge (ERC) Remote Edition
Result: 5th Place + Best Remote Maintenance Award (2023)

This project develops a comprehensive autonomous rover navigation and robotic manipulation system for the European Rover Challenge, combining advanced computer vision, autonomous navigation, and precision robotic arm control for space exploration applications.

Project Overview

The research focuses on creating an integrated autonomous system capable of rover navigation in challenging terrain and precise object manipulation tasks, simulating real-world Mars exploration scenarios with high reliability and efficiency.

Key Achievements

• Autonomous Navigation System: Developed and implemented sophisticated rover navigation using ArUco marker detection, Ackermann steering kinematics, and intelligent spot turn maneuvers for autonomous hazard avoidance and path planning in complex environments.

• Precision Robotic Manipulation: Successfully configured and optimized UR3 robotic arm integration with MoveIt motion planning framework and OMPL (Open Motion Planning Library) for collision-free object manipulation, achieving 98% success rate in manipulation tasks.

• Integrated Control Architecture: Created seamless integration between rover locomotion and arm manipulation systems using distributed ROS architecture for coordinated autonomous operations.

Technical Stack

ROS Frameworks: ROS Noetic, ROS 2 Foxy
Simulation & Visualization: Gazebo, RViz
Motion Planning: MoveIt, OMPL planner
Computer Vision: OpenCV, ArUco detection
Control Systems: Ackermann steering, trajectory planning

Research Impact

The developed system demonstrates advanced capabilities in autonomous rover operations with precision manipulation, contributing to space robotics research with validated performance metrics and robust integration of multiple complex subsystems for challenging exploration missions.