Moonbuggy Design
In this vehicle project, 15 students from RISD Industrial Design Department worked together to build a human powered moonbuggy (lunar rover).
In early April 2010, we entered the 17th annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race held in Huntsville, Alabama, and won the 3rd place in the college division.
Our two riders: Eric Peloquin (left) & Cassie Maurer (right)
Brainstorming
There were many rules set by NASA that we had to follow in order to enter the competition.
Naturally, those rules became the driving factors in our design process.
Here are some of the key competition rules:
The moonbuggy must:
1. be human powered.
2. carry two riders from the team - one male and one female.
3. be less than 4ft wide and fit into a volume of 4ft x 4ft x 4ft before assembly.
4. be designed so that its lowest surface is at least 15" above flat ground with riders onboard.
The moonbuggy must:
1. be human powered.
2. carry two riders from the team - one male and one female.
3. be less than 4ft wide and fit into a volume of 4ft x 4ft x 4ft before assembly.
4. be designed so that its lowest surface is at least 15" above flat ground with riders onboard.
Collapsing Mechanism
Slides by Eric Peloquin
The Scorpion
At the race in Huntsville, Alabama
