The Marketing Minute: Cracking the Code of Technical Marketing
Trouble in Your Tank: Implementing Direct Metallization in Advanced Substrate Packaging
20 Robotics Teams Vie for $1.5M NASA Challenge
June 5, 2015 | NASAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Twenty robotics teams, ranging from university students to small businesses, are preparing to compete June 8-13 in the fourth running of the NASA Sample Return Robot Challenge for a prize purse of $1.5 million.
At the autonomous robot competition held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, teams must demonstrate their robot can locate and collect geologic samples from a large and varied landscape, without human control, through two levels of competition that grow in complexity. The objective is to encourage innovations in autonomous navigation and robotic manipulation technologies. These innovations may enhance NASA's space exploration capabilities and could have applications on Earth, continuing the nation's leadership in robotic technology.
"With missions to other planets and deeper space in our sights, it is increasingly valuable and necessary to see these technologies through," said Sam Ortega, program manager for Centennial Challenges at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Robots are our pioneers, and solving this challenge will be a breakthrough for future space exploration."
NASA awarded $5,000 for Level 1 challenge completion to Team Survey of Los Angeles in 2013 and the West Virginia Mountaineers of Morgantown in 2014. Both teams are eligible to begin the 2015 competition at Level 2.
Other returning teams are:
- Formicarum of Worcester, Massachusetts
- Gather of Alexandria, Virginia
- Lunambotics of Mexico City
- Middleman of Dunedin, Florida
- Oregon State University of Corvallis
- The Retrievers of Schenectady, New York
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rock Raiders of Troy, New York
- Wunderkammer of Topanga, California
The new teams are:
- Army of Angry Robots of Silicon Valley, California
- DT Bozzelli of Ann Arbor, Michigan
- MAXed OUT of San Jose, California
- Mind and Iron of Needham, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Robotics Team of Cambridge
- RoboRetrievers of Tampa, Florida
- Sirius of South Hadley, Massachusetts
- Smart Move of Clearwater, Florida
- Smart Tools of Gurnee, Illinois
- National Autonomous University of Mexico
The Sample Return Robot Challenge is managed by NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, which falls under the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) in Washington. Through such challenges, STMD seeks out the best and brightest minds in academia, industry and government to drive innovation and enable solutions in important technology focus areas.
A Ustream feed of the Sample Return Challenge will be available at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc
For more information about the Sample Return Robot Challenge, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/robot and http://challenge.wpi.edu
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Beyond Design: Slaying Signal Integrity Villains
09/17/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignHigh-speed PCB design is a balancing act, where subtle oversights can develop into major signal integrity nightmares. Some culprits lie dormant during early validation, only to reveal themselves later through workflow disruptions and elusive performance bottlenecks. Take crosstalk, for example. What begins as a stray signal coupling between traces can ripple through the design, ultimately destabilizing the power distribution network. Each of these troublemakers operates with signature tactics, but they also have well-known vulnerabilities.
Integrating Uniplate PLBCu6 With the Digital Factory Suite
09/12/2025 | Giovanni Obino and Andreas Schatz, MKS' AtotechPrinted circuit board manufacturing is rapidly changing, driven by miniaturization, stringent reliability requirements, and growing pressure for sustainable production. Meeting these challenges requires more than incremental improvements; it demands a combination of precise equipment and real-time process intelligence. The pairing of Uniplate® PLBCu6 with the Digital Factory Suite (DFS) demonstrates how hardware and software can work together to create more responsive, resource-efficient manufacturing.
Connect the Dots: How to Avoid Five Common Causes of Board Failure
09/04/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsBoards fail for various reasons, and because I’ve been part of the PCB industry for a long time, I’ve seen most of the reasons for failure. As part of my ongoing crusade to help designers design for the reality of manufacturing, here are five common causes for board failure and how to avoid them.
Trouble in Your Tank: Minimizing Small-via Defects for High-reliability PCBs
08/27/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankTo quote the comedian Stephen Wright, “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.” That can be the battle cry when you find that only small-diameter vias are exhibiting voids. Why are small holes more prone to voids than larger vias when processed through electroless copper? There are several reasons.
The Knowledge Base: Cultivating Your Brand in the Age of Connection
08/19/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseAudiences have evolved in how they consume information, form opinions, and make purchasing decisions. While marketing still relies on tried-and-true methods—get your name and message in front of your audience—you must also cultivate connection, credibility, and community. Your customers, particularly the younger generation of engineers, buyers, and program managers, want to discover value on their terms.