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The University Rover Challenge (URC) is the world's largest and most prestigious Mars rover robotics competition, attracting top university teams from around the globe each year to the Utah desert to simulate real-world Mars exploration missions. In this video, we are proud to showcase the Binghamton University Mars Rover Team, proudly sponsored by CubeMars, and their latest-generation rover built for URC 2024—Endurance.
Powered by CubeMars high-performance drive motors, Endurance features a robust six-wheel drive system that delivers exceptional responsiveness and outstanding off-road capability. It successfully conquers extreme desert terrain, demonstrating the strength of CubeMars drive solutions for deep-space exploration and demanding off-road robotic applications.
The URC competition includes demanding tasks such as Extreme Retrieval and Delivery and Equipment Servicing, placing rigorous requirements on the rover's mobility system.
Complex Unstructured Terrain: The competition environment simulates the Martian surface, featuring loose sand, large rocks, deep trenches, and steep slopes. The rover chassis must provide outstanding mobility without becoming stuck or bottoming out.
Balancing Heavy Payloads with High Dynamic Response: The rover carries heavy payloads, including robotic arms and scientific instruments. At the same time, the drivetrain must deliver millisecond-level responsiveness for precise manipulator operations and emergency obstacle avoidance.
Strict Size and Weight Constraints: Competition regulations impose strict limits on vehicle dimensions and weight. Traditional combinations of large motors with external gearboxes are too bulky to satisfy the requirements for lightweight, highly integrated rover designs.
To maximize performance at URC 2024, the Binghamton University team selected CubeMars high-performance brushless motors for Endurance's six-wheel drive system. Their key advantages include:
Highly Integrated Design That Maximizes Chassis Space: The CubeMars drive solution integrates a 10:1 precision planetary gearbox and a high-resolution encoder inside the motor. This highly integrated motor + gearbox + encoder architecture eliminates the need for bulky external transmission components and standalone encoders. The result is a significantly simplified wheel hub and suspension design while reducing unsprung mass, making Endurance's chassis more compact, lighter, and more efficient.
Exceptional Responsiveness and High Torque for 45° Climbs: Thanks to the torque multiplication provided by the 10:1 planetary gearbox and the superior electromagnetic design of CubeMars motors, Endurance delivers extremely responsive control. During the competition, the six-wheel rover reached speeds of up to 5 mph (approximately 8 km/h) while confidently climbing 45-degree slopes and traversing 12-inch (approximately 30 cm) vertical obstacles, demonstrating remarkable off-road performance.
Precise Closed-Loop Control for Stable Six-Wheel Coordination: The integrated high-resolution encoder provides real-time rotor position and speed feedback to the vehicle controller. Combined with CubeMars' advanced motor control algorithms, Endurance achieves highly accurate six-wheel differential drive control and wheel slip regulation. Whether preventing wheel spin in loose sand or maintaining chassis stability while operating its robotic arm, the drive system delivers reliable and precise performance.
Follow the Binghamton University team and experience the impressive capabilities of Endurance firsthand.
Extreme Off-Road Performance: Watch Endurance climb 45-degree slopes, traverse large rocks, and cross deep trenches in the Utah desert.
Chassis Dynamics Breakdown: Discover how the six-wheel drive system works together to handle challenging terrain while showcasing the responsive performance enabled by CubeMars motors.
Behind-the-Scenes Engineering: Hear directly from the team's engineers as they discuss their design philosophy and explain how CubeMars drive solutions helped them overcome key engineering challenges.
Q1: Why are integrated motors with planetary gearboxes recommended for Mars rovers and off-road robotic platforms?
A: Off-road driving and hill climbing require substantial low-speed torque to overcome terrain resistance. Using a direct-drive motor alone would require a much larger and heavier motor to generate sufficient torque. An integrated motor with a built-in planetary gearbox (such as a 10:1 reduction ratio) multiplies output torque while keeping the motor compact and lightweight, achieving an ideal balance between high torque and lightweight design.
Q2: We are a university robotics competition team (such as URC, RoboMaster, or FSAE). Does CubeMars offer sponsorships or educational discounts?
A: Absolutely! CubeMars is committed to supporting robotics education and university competition teams worldwide. We offer dedicated educational discounts and sponsorship programs for university robotics teams and research institutions. In addition to providing cost-effective hardware, our engineering team also offers technical support to help teams achieve their goals. Feel free to contact us using the information below to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Whether you're developing a Mars rover, an all-terrain robotic platform, or another specialized mobile robot, CubeMars provides high-power-density, highly integrated drive solutions engineered for demanding robotic applications.
[Learn more about the CubeMars High-Performance Robotic Actuator & Drive Motor Series]
