ERIG e.V, a German student association at the Technical University of Braunschweig, is the winner of the sixth edition of the international Mars rover competition ERC Space and Robotics Event.
The participants of the 2020 ERC Space and Robotics Event remotely controlled their Mars rovers on the largest artificial Martian track in the world in Kielce, Poland. Teams took part in two field competitions, reflecting the tasks performed by rovers on the surface of Mars.
A Czech team from the Technical University of Ostrava, RoverOva, was awarded second place for their K3P4 Mars rover. DJS Antariksh from India and Robocol from Colombia shared third place and were both awarded bronze medals for their contribution to the ERC Space and Robotics Event. Winners of the competition include:
- 1st place – ERIG e.V. (Germany)
- 2nd place – RoverOva (The Czech Republic)
- 3rd place – DJS Antariksh (India) and Robocol (Colombia)
- Best Design Award: Best Design – AGH Space Systems (Poland)
- Best Design Award: Best Docs – STAR Dresden e.V (Germany)
- Best Design Award: Best Science Design – ERIG e.V (Germany)
Additional awards
Additional awards and distinctions were granted for the first time in ERC history. RoverOva from the Technical University of Ostrava, last year’s ERC bronze medallist, was awarded for the most autonomous ride on the Martian track in the Navigation & Science Task competition. The representatives of Colombia were recognised for the accuracy of their geological map of MarsYard, and the DJS Antariksh team from India was awarded for the best scientific mission plan.
The judges of the ERC Space and Robotics Event praised the UK team for having the greatest dexterity in the maintenance task simulating a remote repair of the reactor. In addition, ERC 2020 partner, Mathworks, awarded SKA Robotics from the Warsaw University of Technology an award for the best use of its platform to perform advanced scientific calculations and computer simulations.
