ASTRAEUS

Prototype Solar Support Rover

Keeping Mars Powered
One Panel at a Time

Technology for planetary exploration continues to evolve as engineers push the boundaries of humanity’s potential beyond Earth. Mars, a prime target for future missions, holds the key to understanding both our past and our future. Sustaining human presence on the Red Planet will require reliable energy sources, with solar farms playing a crucial role in powering habitats, scientific instruments, and life-support systems. However, Mars’ harsh environment presents a major challenge—dust accumulation on solar panels threatens power efficiency, potentially jeopardizing critical operations.

To ensure a sustainable energy supply, innovative solutions are needed. Our prototype solar support rover is designed to tackle this challenge head-on.

Our Mission: Design A Rover to Keep Martian Solar Panels Clean and Operational.

To address this issue, our goal is to develop a solar panel maintenance rover designed to autonomously clean dust and debris from solar farms. The rover features an automated brush system that sweeps across panel surfaces, ensuring optimal energy generation by preventing dust accumulation. It navigates autonomously, leveraging AI vision for obstacle detection and precise alignment with solar panels. Upon completing a cleaning cycle, the rover logs panel conditions and reports data to the user, providing a real-time assessment of solar farm efficiency. This solution ensures that Martian solar infrastructure remains operational, supporting future exploration and long-term habitation.

Meet ASTRAEuS

04/05/25

TYPE:

Rover

OBJECTIVE:

Solar Farm Maintenance

TARGET: