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NASA Announces Winners of 2016 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

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NASA

Apr 11, 2016
Article

NASA has announced the winners of the 2016 Human Exploration Rover Challenge, held April 8-9 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, both in Huntsville, Alabama.

Rafaelina E. Lebron Flores of Patillas, Puerto Rico, won first place in the high school division, while Purdue University Calumet – Team 1, of Hammond, Indiana, won the college division. Rover Challenge requires student teams to design, construct and race human-powered rovers through an obstacle course simulating the types of terrain potentially found on distant planets, asteroids or moons.

Rafaelina E. Lebron Flores of Patillas, Puerto Rico, won the high school division.
Rafaelina E. Lebron Flores of Patillas, Puerto Rico, won the high school division of the 2016 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge.
NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given

This year’s event added two new and important changes. First, teams were required to design and fabricate their own wheels. Any component used to contact the course surface for traction and mobility had to be original and not an “off-the-shelf” or commercially available item.

The second new feature was an optional Sample Retrieval Challenge, where teams attempted to collect four samples — liquid, small pebbles, large rocks and soil samples — using a mechanical arm or grabber they designed and built.  

This worldwide competition featured nearly 70 teams of high schools, colleges and universities students from 18 states and Puerto Rico, as well as a strong contingent of international teams from Germany, India, Mexico, Italy, and Russia.

Purdue University Calumet – Team 1 of Hammond, Indiana, won first place in the college division of Rover Challenge
Purdue University Calumet – Team 1 of Hammond, Indiana, won first place in the college division.
NASA/MSFC/Fred Deaton

Managed by Marshall’s Academic Affairs Office, Rover Challenge highlights NASA’s goals for future exploration to Mars and beyond. The event challenges students to solve engineering problems, while highlighting NASA’s commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers. 

For more details, course information, contributors, photos and links to social media, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge

Full replays of the race are available on Marshall Ustream site:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc

The complete list of award winners is provided below.

2016 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge Awards

High School Division

  • First Place: Rafaelina E. Lebron Flores of Patillas, Puerto Rico, with a time of 6:09
  • Second Place: Greenfield Central High School – Team 2 of Greenfield, Indiana, with a time of 7:35
  • Third Place: The Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology of Reno, Nevada, with a time of 7:37

University Division

  • First Place: Purdue University Calumet – Team 1 of Hammond, Indiana, with a time of 6:01
  • Second Place: Rhode Island School of Design of Providence, with a time of 6:37
  • Third Place: North Dakota State University of Fargo, with a time 7:00

Sample Retrieval Challenge Award

  • High School Division: Central Magnet School – Team 1 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with a time of 1:58
  • University Division: Purdue University Calumet – Team 1 with a time of 2:12

Neil Armstrong Best Design Award 

  • High School Division: Colegio Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro of Humacao, Puerto Rico
  • University Division: Purdue University Calumet – Team 2

Technology Challenge Award 

  • North Dakota State University

Featherweight Award 

  • High School Division: Rafaelina E. Lebron Flores, weighing in at 126 pounds
  • University Division: Rhode Island School of Design, weighing in at 126 pounds

The Telemetry/Electronics Award

  • High School Division: Parish Episcopal School of Dallas, Texas
  • University Division: Tecnologico de Monterrey Cuernavaca Campus of Xochitepec, Mexico

Frank Joe Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award 

  • High School Division: Academy of Engineering & Green Technology of Hartford, Connecticut
  • University Division: Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee of Uttarakhand, India

Crash and Burn Award 

  • The Rio Grande Preparatory Institute of Las Cruces, New Mexico

Spirit Award

  •   Connecticut State University System, of New Britain

Rookie of the Year Award

  • High School Division: Colegio Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro
  • University Division: Connecticut State University System

Jesco von Puttkamer International Team Award 

  • High School Division: International Space Education Institute – Team Italy of Venezia, Italy
  • University Division: Tecnologico de Monterrey Cuernavaca Campus

Best Report Award 

  • High School Division: Parish Episcopal School
  • University Division: The Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering of Mumbai, India

Most Improved Award

  • High School Division: Lima High School – Team 1 of Lima, Ohio, with a 67.88% improvement over last year
  • University Division: North Dakota State University with an 85.39% improvement over last year’s time

The International System Safety Society Award

  • High School Division: The Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology
  • University Division: The Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering