Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing
Sample Return Robot (SRR)
Project Introduction
The challenge is to demonstrate a robot that can locate and retrieve geologic samples from a wide and varied terrain without human control or assistance from terrestrial navigation aids such as access to magnetic compasses or Global Position Satellite data. This Challenge requires demonstration of an autonomous robotic system to locate and collect a set of specific sample types from a large planetary analog area and then return the samples to the starting zone.
More »Anticipated Benefits
Demonstrate robots that locate/retrieve pre-defined samples without human control or terrestrial navigation aids. This challenge encourage innovations in robotic navigation, sample manipulation and collection technologies. This is an area of a lot of interest on Earth and needed to get Mars ready for humans.
More »Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
| 39e | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Army of Angry Robots Group | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Complector | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Cyberdyne Systems | Supporting Organization | Industry | Outside the United States, Japan |
| DT Bozzelli | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Supporting Organization | Academia | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Formicarum | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| Friends of Elpenor | Supporting Organization | Industry | Arlington, Massachusetts |
| Gather | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Intergalatic Retrieval Service | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Intrepid Systems | Supporting Organization | Industry | Lynnwood, Washington |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Pasadena, California |
|
Johnson Space Center
(JSC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Houston, Texas |
| Kuukulgur | Supporting Organization | Industry | Outside the United States, Estonia |
| LunamBotics, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Supporting Organization | Academia | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| MAXed Out | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Middleman | Supporting Organization | Industry | Dunedin, Florida |
| Mind and Iron | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Mystic Lake | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| OB One Communications | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Supporting Organization | Academia | Columbus, Ohio |
| Open Lab Idaho: Team Oytheas | Supporting Organization | Industry | Idaho |
| ORB Robotics | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Oregon State University | Supporting Organization | Academia | Corvallis, Oregon |
| Robo Retrievers | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Shoestring Rainbow | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Skunkworks | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| Smart Move | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Smart Tools | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Sourcerors | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| SpacePride | Supporting Organization | Industry | Graniteville, South Carolina |
| Spark | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | Supporting Organization | Academia | New Paltz, New York |
| Stellar Automation Systems | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Survey | Supporting Organization | Industry | Los Angeles, California |
| Svechdt, LLC | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Team AL | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| Team Cephal | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Terra Engineering | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| Texas Titans | Supporting Organization | Industry | Texas |
| The Retrievers | Supporting Organization | Academia | |
| True Vision Robotics | Supporting Organization | Industry | |
| University of Alabama Astrobotics | Supporting Organization | Academia | Alabama |
| University of California-Santa Cruz | Supporting Organization | Academia | Santa Cruz, California |
| University of Massachusetts Minuteman Robotics | Supporting Organization | Academia | Massachusetts |
| University of Pennsylvania | Supporting Organization | Academia | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| University of Waterloo | Supporting Organization | Academia | Waterloo, Outside the United States, Canada |
| West Virginia University | Supporting Organization | Academia | Morgantown, West Virginia |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Supporting Organization | Academia | Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Wunderkammer Laboratory | Supporting Organization | Industry | Topanga, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
Massachusetts
-
Virginia
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Center / Facility:
- Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
Responsible Program:
- Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing
Project Management
Program Director:
Program Manager:
Principal Investigator:
Project Duration
Start: Sep 2011
End: Sep 2016
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 5 |
| Current: | 6 |
| Estimated End: | 6 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TX04 Robotic Systems
- TX04.2 Mobility
- TX04.2.5 Robot Navigation and Path Planning
Target Destinations
Earth, The Moon, Mars
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