That is how the association came to be according to chairman Jakob Rewers Jørgensen. The goal of participating in the international European Rover Challenge (ERC) motivated the students to continue working on the rover after the end of the leadENG project.

“Something similar could be done with other leadENG projects. You could create companies from leadENG projects” - Eric Skødt Goupil, member of AAU Space Robotics.

One of the association's members is writing his PhD thesis on the navigation of Mars rovers.

European Rover Challenge
The primary goal of the AAU Space Robotics association is to qualify for the international competition European Rover Challenge (ERC), where university students from all over the world compete to build the most optimal rover. The competition gives students a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in practice and contribute to the future of space research.

Out of 69 teams, only 27 qualify for the ERC, which is held in Poland every September. AAU Space Robotics qualified for the first time in 2024. Although they did not win, participating was seen as a victory in itself.

“It wasn't about scoring a lot of points, it was about experiencing it,” says Mathias Lundgaard Terndrup, member of AAU Space Robotics.

It was a great achievement for a first-year team that required intensive work. For example, chairman Jakob Rewers Jørgensen spent 30-37 hours a week on the project over the summer.

“LeadENG started it, sweat and tears kept it alive and now it is almost self-sufficient,” Jakob says.

 

Interdisciplinary collaboration
In the association, students collaborate across semesters and fields of study to find solutions to real-world problems. This interdisciplinary collaboration has several advantages, according to Jakob, Eric and Mathias, who are active members of the association:

“If we invest time in teaching them coding and printing, they can contribute more to the team. Communication skills are also important, as you improve your own learning by teaching others. This not only strengthens our team, but the students themselves gain valuable tools and become better at their studies. At the same time, we improve our ability to communicate. Working vertically is something that is also done in companies.”

Jakob, Mathias and Eric have several ideas for interdisciplinary projects that could be relevant to the competition. One example involves using a thermal camera to analyze types of sand to prevent the rover from getting stuck.

LeadENG-projects
AAU Space Robotics members have experience with leadENG projects, as the association originated from one such project. According to Eric Skødt Goupil, a successful leadENG project is about balance:

“When the requirements are too vague you can solve your own tasks without the two projects actually working together. When the requirements are too specific you are not allowed to think for yourself”

Good communication and teamwork are essential. Students must be willing to commit to the project.

The team's advice to students about to start a leadENG project is to be aware of how much you are willing to put into it. You may risk that the others in the group are not as interested in the project as you are.

“Find a project you’re passionate about and others who share your enthusiasm,” Jakob advises.