After taking a year off to solve the laundry quandary, BEST Robotics,
Inc. (BRI) returns to space! In 2007, the Mars Rovers - Opportunity
and Spirit - began their fourth year of searching for signs of life on
Mars. In 2021, a Martian base has been assembled using construction
robots and is now receiving supplies before the arrival of astronauts.
Automated Supply Vehicles (ASVs) land at the Martian base and must be
unloaded using robots. Because of the harsh environment on the Martian
surface (temperatures can reach as low as -155 °F), the robots have
three minutes to perform the following tasks:
- Exit the base and drive across the Martian surface
- Drive up onto the ASV and load supplies
- Drive off the ASV and store the supplies in a storage bin at the
Martian base
The exits on the Martian base dictate that robots must be within
certain size and weight constraints.
NASA issued a request for proposals for robots to unload the supply
ships. BRI has submitted a proposal and won the contract to provide
robots for unloading ASVs!
