If the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre likes the students’ design, the rover could be selected for the country’s next Moon mission.
Students at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi are building a lunar rover that could be part of the UAE’s next Moon mission. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Mubarak Yakubu, 30, is a Nigerian student pursuing a doctorate in robotics at Khalifa University.
Ruqayya Al Hammadi, 25, is also pursuing a doctorate in robotics. She is working on several advanced features for the rover, including a vision camera that can determine whether soil is loose or not so it does not get stuck.
Mr Yakubu said he has been working on the design of the four-wheel rover, including making sure it can journey through the harsh lunar terrain autonomously using adaptive locomotives, which allow a robot to adapt to different environmental features.
The team is also trying to figure out a way to decrease the time it takes to send a message to and receive a reply from the rover.
If the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre likes the students’ design, the rover could be selected for the country’s next Moon mission.
Students at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi are building a lunar rover that could be part of the UAE’s next Moon mission. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Mubarak Yakubu, 30, is a Nigerian student pursuing a doctorate in robotics at Khalifa University.
Ruqayya Al Hammadi, 25, is also pursuing a doctorate in robotics. She is working on several advanced features for the rover, including a vision camera that can determine whether soil is loose or not so it does not get stuck.
Mr Yakubu said he has been working on the design of the four-wheel rover, including making sure it can journey through the harsh lunar terrain autonomously using adaptive locomotives, which allow a robot to adapt to different environmental features.
The team is also trying to figure out a way to decrease the time it takes to send a message to and receive a reply from the rover.
If the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre likes the students’ design, the rover could be selected for the country’s next Moon mission.