The Legendary Rover Team form the Rzeszow University of Technology scored the second time in a row, 1 st place in the prestige University Rover Challenge (URC), which took place in the USA on the deserts of Utah.
Smilarly as in the earlier editions, that time Jelwekalso supported the Legendary Team, making for them some 3D printed parts. Many of the elements of the Legandary Rover were designed to be made by the addivite manufacturing method and thanks to that we were able to made those parts very quickly and with the high quality.
The most complex component of rover was made in 3d printing technology. It was the remotely controlled, biaxial main camera head. Instead of bearings and servos, all components were 3d printed by FDM method.
The main camera head consists of three basic components connected together by the rubber dampers. The dampers were also responsible for reduceing vibrations during driving through the desert. All of those parts were put on the aluminium shaft which was mounted on the regulated basis.
The Legendary III during the Astronaut Assistance Task (on the left). The main camera head made by Jelwek (on the right).
The eye of the Legandary Rover was a digital camera with the external lens. Due to to using the addivite manufacturing we were able to achieve almost 70% less weight and similar mechanic durability in 3d printed parts compared to the traditional manufacturing.
Additionaly, there was also made the cap for the lens, where inside were put servos which allow to remotely control focus and zoom.
The cover of the lithium-lon battery made of ABS.
One of the effectors of the working arm, mounted on the board of the Legendary III had the task to take the sample of the soil and to put it precisely into the special researching box, where the soil was examined. The cover of the drill and set-up elements were made of PLA material.
The Legendary Rover take a sample of soil in Sample Return Task. The 3d printed parts of effector visable in the frame.
The 3d printing technology is used not only in prototyping field but also in making assembled funcional parts of the Legandary Rover. It allows to reduce the cost o make the project according to restricted rules of the competition.