Competitions

The European Rover Challenge (ERC) (https://roverchallenge.eu/) is one of Europe’s leading international robotics competitions focused on space and planetary exploration. It invites university teams from across the globe to design and build mobile robotic platforms capable of performing a variety of tasks inspired by real Mars exploration missions. The competition is set in a Martian-like terrain and includes challenges such as autonomous navigation, sample collection, equipment servicing, terrain traversal, and scientific analysis.

ERC encourages practical, interdisciplinary innovation by combining robotics, artificial intelligence, and systems engineering. It offers a platform for students to test their ideas under realistic conditions and exchange knowledge with a global community of space and robotics enthusiasts.

Team – Aries LeapOne

We are a dynamic team of students from Hochschule Schmalkalden, participating in ERC 2025 with a comprehensive robotic system composed of a Mars rover and a drone. Our team includes members from various academic backgrounds such as:

 

• Mechatronics and Robotics
• Electrical and Embedded Systems
• Computer Science
• Business and Project Management

This interdisciplinary mix enables us to cover all critical aspects of the competition from mechanical design and hardware integration to software development, mission planning, and team coordination.

Our Mission at ERC 2025

Our entry features a custom-built Mars rover, designed to perform core ERC tasks such as autonomous traversal, manipulation of tools, and in-situ analysis. Alongside the rover, we are developing a drone system tailored for sub-tasks like probe detection and aerial mapping. The drone extends the rover’s capabilities by providing rapid, high-level visual feedback and accessing areas that may be unreachable by ground.

Key features of our project include:

• Rugged, modular rover design capable of handling rough terrain
• Autonomous navigation using computer vision and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)
• Drone integration for aerial reconnaissance and probe detection
• Team-led software and electronics development for real-time control and data processing

Through this project, we aim to push our technical boundaries, enhance our collaborative engineering experience, and contribute to the global conversation around robotic exploration of extraterrestrial environments.