WUT students develop martian exploration system

The KNR Drone section is co-developing the MARS project, carried out in collaboration with staff members from the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology and the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at the Warsaw University of Technology. The goal is to create an alternative concept for Mars surface exploration based on the synergy between a swarm of small Mars rovers and an observation drone. This marks a shift from the traditional approach of using a single large rover toward a more flexible, scalable, and potentially safer system for future crewed missions.

From the very beginning, the project has been developed in close cooperation with NASA's Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Consultations with experts from both institutions allow the team to verify their proposed solutions and adjust them to the requirements of real space missions. This is an example of how a student initiative, through interdisciplinary collaboration and international exchange, can evolve into a research endeavour that goes far beyond a typical student project.

The project has been made possible thanks to funding obtained through grant competitions. The section received PLN 70,000 from the "Student Research Groups Create Innovations" program of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and an additional PLN 20,000 from the "Initiatives Supporting the Development of Student Research Groups at WUT" competition, financed under the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) program.

As a result, the team built a 5.5 kg drone with a payload capacity of 4.5 kg, capable of 20-minute flights and equipped with a vision system that enables the creation of orthophoto maps and 3D models. Testing was conducted at the CENAGIS research centre in Józefosław, using the research infrastructure of the Warsaw University of Technology.

The next step in the system's development will be to make it independent of GPS and compass signals, which do not function on Mars. The students plan to use alternative sensors, such as LiDAR and depth cameras, and to integrate the drone with rovers equipped with markers that will facilitate mutual positioning.

The KNR Drone section, operating within the Student Research Group of Robotics at the Warsaw University of Technology, was founded in late 2023. Initially focused on preparations for the national Droniada competition, it quickly expanded its scope. In less than two years, the team has grown from a small group of enthusiasts into a 25-member team that has built three aerial units capable of manual and autonomous flight and has earned awards in prestigious competitions such as KOKOS, StartupHack, and Droniada itself.