Moonbots 2012 - Landscape Design

Here is our Phase Two Landscape Design. We recommend that you watch the video in HD.

Top view and mission item layout:

Moonbots 2012 - Game idea and Missions

Moonbots 2012 - Titanium Springboks– Game Idea and Lunar Missions

1          Finding Ideas and an Approach for our Game

A.     We have to adopt one or more of the following topics for the Game

-         Google Lunar X PRIZE Mission

-         Heritage Artifacts

-         Solar Power on the Moon

-         A Night Rover Challenge

B.     We need to abide by the Moonbots 2012 Competition Rules

-         The Lunar Landscape must have a Starting Base, High Ridge, Mission Area and Mission Items

-         The Starting Base, High Ridge and cross over ramp has specific dimensions and position specifications

-         The Robot start off from Base, move up the first ramp of High Ridge go across the Plateau and down into the Mission Area.  In the Mission area pick up two Mission items and take it back to Starting Base

-         Our Video Essay – Phase 1 When you go to the Moon, what would you leave on the Moon and why?

C.     We looked and listened again and reminded ourselves of our Video Essay – Phase 1- When you go to the Moon, what would you leave on the Moon and why?  This is what we said:

-         Shana – “When I go to the moon I would like to leave a McDonalds burger and leave it there to see how fast it will deteriorate. The other thing I want to take is a South African flag.”

-         Bernard – “I would take to the moon an old-fashioned gear analog clock. With this clock I will test the theory in which Einstein mentioned that the time on earth is different than the time in space. The reason that I would take a clock that is built with gears is because it is believed that the gravitational force has an effect on the gears, thus the time will differ from that of the earth.”

-         Ian – “I would leave a Portable Medical Center with robots that can be controlled by doctors on earth for medical emergencies on the moon during moon missions”

D.     We read our Phase 1 – Creative Lunar Landscape Question again to see what we suggested our lunar landscape should look like. We had the following ideas:

-         Realistic top layer of sand and rock

-         Hills and Valleys

-         Impact Craters

-         Sunlight on the Moon

-         Extreme temperature zones

Our Team attempted to include most of our ideas in the Game

2          Designing the Mission Tasks – Design Matrix

Primary mission is to start off from Base, move up the first ramp of High Ridge go across the Plateau and down into the Mission Area.  In the Mission area pick up two Mission items and take it back to Starting Base

3          Design the Mission Items

Base, High Ridge and Ridge ramp

The Base, High Ridge and Ridge ramp form part of the landscape design with specific Competition rules and dimensions.  In terms of the Game design it plays a role to start and end the Game from the Base. The High Ridge separates the Base area from the Mission area.  The Moonbot will have to go over the Ridge, collect 2 items, return over the High Ridge ramp and return to Base.

Zones of extreme temperature

There are extreme temperatures that ranges on the moon (-155°C to 120°C or -250°F to 250°F).  On our Gameplay we indicate with red and blue balls the zones of high and low temperatures.  The Robot will have different operating capabilities in the different temperature zones.
Cold Zones
Hot Zones

 SA Flag, Photo and Footprint

The team wants to leave a unique South African artifact on the Moon so that our heritage could remain on the Moon.  The SA Flag and team photo will be planted on the Ridge Plateau

 Heritage Artifact 1 – Neil Armstrong footprint

Neil Armstrong has often been asked about being the first person to set foot on the Moon.  He once said that he hopes someone would go back to the landing site of Apollo 11 and wipe his first footprint off the Moon.  In Memory of Neil Armstrong who sadly died on 25 August 2012, our team decided to honor his wish and would erase his footprint (artifact) from the moon.

 Heritage Artifact 2 – Seismic experiment

The second artifact that the team will collect is the Seismic Experiment.  This device has been monitoring the seismic activity.  The team wants to collect this artifact to look at the vibration behaviour of the Moon

 Delivery Artifact 1&2 - McDonalds Hamburger and Analog clock

Our team also wants to place a McDonalds Burger on the Moon to see how food deteriorates in Moon conditions (vacuum) and also whether an analog clock is running slower than on earth

 Solar Powered Medical Centre

Our team wants to put a permanent Medical station on the Moon for future Missions.  We will equip the Medical station with a Solar Panel.

4          Design the Game Missions and points

Mission Time is 4 minutes

	Lunar Mission tasks	Points
1	Moonbot leave the Base	10
2	Ascend ramp on Ridge	20
3	Place SA Flag, photo, footprint on Ridge plateau	40
4	Descend ramp from Ridge into Mission Area	15
5	Move to hot surface where the sun shines	10
6	Deliver New Titanium Springboks Artifacts - Analog clock	40
7	Deliver New Titanium Springboks Artifacts - McDonalds Burger	40
8	Collect Heritage Artifact 1 - Neil Armstrong Footprint	45
9	Activate Solar Powered Medical Centre	60
10	Collect Heritage Artifact 2 - Seismic Experiment	45
11	Ascend return ramp on Ridge	20
12	Decend return ramp into Base Area	15
13	Moonbot return to Base	40
	Total Points	400
	(-30 points touch penalty)

5          Preview of the actual Landscape and Mission

Innovation Summit

Innovation Summit photos.

Video essay. Phase 1

Here is our video essay from phase one of the competition.