Engineering students add remote rovers to NASA challenge

October 11, 2024

Campbell's School of Engineering among only handful of schools accepted into NASA's 2025 human-controlled and remote-controlled rover competitions in Huntsville, Alabama

Campbell University's School of Engineering will return once again to Huntsville, Alabama, in April to compete in the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, a rigorous challenge that engages students in hands-on engineering design correlated to NASA's Artemis missions.

Campbell's team - which finished third overall in 2024 against schools from all over the world - will again compete in the Human Exploration Rover Team (HERT) division and will for the first time take part in the recently launched Remote-Operated Vehicular Research division, which will require students to build a rover that can be controlled remotely.

According to School of Engineering Founding Dean Dr. Jenna Carpenter, NASA has invited only 25 collegiate teams to compete this year (compared to 42 last year) in the HERT division, and only 10 will compete in the remote control challenge (also called the HERO division).

"To have Campbell accepted in both is pretty impressive," Carpenter said. "We have great faculty mentors and outstanding students who put countless hours into making these teams such a success. We are also grateful for wonderful sponsors and funders who support their efforts."

According to Dr. Lee Rynearson, Dr. Lee Rynearson, associate professor of mechanical engineering and the faculty sponsor for Campbell's team of engineers, acceptance into the challenge was the first critical step this year.

"Many teams did not make the cut this year, but the hard work and extensive preparation of Campbell's human-powered rover team earned our place in NASA's international Challenge," he said. "The team is now focused on the next steps en route to Huntsville in April."

NASA's Artemis Student Challenges reflect the goals of itsArtemis campaign, which seeks to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon while establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration.

More than 1,000 students with 72 teams from around the world participated in the 2024 challenge as HERC celebrated its 30th anniversary as a NASA competition. Since its inception in 1994, more than 15,000 students have participated in HERC - with many former students now working at NASA or within the aerospace industry.

List of teams for this competition: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-human-exploration-rover-challenge/herc-teams/

Academics & OutcomesEngineering