More than 30 space industry professionals from around the world are set to compete in a space-themed robotics competition at the International Space University’s (ISU) Space Studies Program (SSP) . The event will be held at Rice University June 21 and will highlight the significance of robotics in space missions.
Participants, divided into six teams of six members each, will construct mini-space rovers using Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits. The goal of the event, now in its 26th year, is to design, build, program and test a rover capable of navigating obstacles. The competition plays an important role in understanding the fundamentals of robotics and their applications in space, according to Anil Sejal Jain, an associate researcher at ISU.
“These robots help participants innovate ideas, work in a real environment and improve their designs through prototyping, testing, debugging and rebuilding,” Jain said.
What: Space robotics competition
Who: Space industry professionals attending the International Space University’s Space Studies program
When: Friday, June 21, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Where: Rice University, Sid Richardson Commons; 6100 Main Street, Houston, 77005
***Media wishing to cover the competition should RSVP with Marcy de Luna at marcy.deluna@rice.edu or 713-348-6780.
Each team will be scored over three seven-minute rounds. The competitors are mentored by professor Kazuya Yoshida of Space Robotics Laboratory at Tohoku University in Japan, who will serve as a judge at the event.
“Yoshida’s unwavering commitment to ISU SSP since the event’s inception has created a platform where aspiring space enthusiasts can push boundaries of innovation in the field of space robotics,” Jain said.
The SSP, running for eight weeks through Aug. 3, is an intensive educational and training program held annually in different cities worldwide. This year marks the second time Rice has hosted the ISU’s SSP program, the first being in 1997.
The program offers an expansive curriculum designed to broaden participants’ knowledge base of the space sector. Attendees cover both technical and nontechnical aspects of the industry in an international, intercultural and interdisciplinary environment through courses, hands-on learning modules and networking opportunities.
Founded in 1987, ISU is based in Strasbourg, France, and is the world’s only university devoted entirely to space education. ISU has U.S. and Asia-Pacific hubs, partnerships with leading space organizations and a global network of alumni that includes astronauts, entrepreneurs and current and former space industry and government leaders.