Oddity was first conceived as an idea by our leader on a sunny afternoon back in 2022. Then started a vision and a plan to bring the rover to life. Tremendous amount of brainstorming and ideation where the leads will themselves learn a topic themselves and teach the recruits. Cut to 2024, Oddity receives its first funding from our institute, and the behemoth of an idea starts to come to life. This pioneering endeavor marks the first indigenous produced Mars rover prototype by IEM Kolkata, with an ambitious vision to compete in prestigious events such as the University Rover Challenge (URC), International Rover Challenge (IRC), and other esteemed robotics and rover challenges.

At Oddity, we believe that standards of work should be as high as the sky. Each of our PCBs, CNC, and other components, starting from the smallest like a custom buck converter to things as large as an entire subsystem, goes through numerous iterations and improvements to make sure that the work we produce is up to industry standards. A core philosophy guiding Project ODDITY is the extensive use of custom-designed products, prioritizing bespoke solutions over readily available off-the-shelf components to achieve unparalleled performance and integration. We deeply admire PCBWay's outstanding support for student innovation, and we believe a collaboration would significantly help us meet our design goals with professional-grade fabrication.

Project ODDITY is a sophisticated planetary rover designed for exploration and scientific analysis, featuring several key subsystems that work in harmony to achieve its mission objectives.

Salient Features of the Rover

Custom-Designed Chassis: The rover features a custom-designed chassis, engineered for optimal structural integrity and performance in diverse planetary environments.

Cycloidal Drive: This custom-designed gear mechanism provides high torque and precise motion control, essential for the rover's mobility. It utilizes a rolling motion of a cycloidal disc, offering a compact and efficient power transmission solution.

Robotic Arm: Our custom-designed robotic arm boasts 5 degrees of freedom, enabling it to perform intricate tasks such as gripping, lifting, switching switches, and even typing on a keyboard. This arm is crucial for interaction with the environment and sample manipulation.

Rocker-Bogie Suspension System: The rover incorporates a robust 6-wheel drive Rocker-Bogie suspension system. This design is paramount for navigating rough and uneven terrains, ensuring all wheels maintain contact with the ground, distributing weight effectively, and providing exceptional stability without the need for springs.

Custom 3D Printed Wheels: The rover is equipped with custom 3D printed wheels, designed for enhanced traction and durability across varied surfaces.

Subsystem Overview

Software Stack (ROS2): All software development for Project ODDITY is built upon ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2), providing a robust and flexible framework for inter-subsystem communication, sensor integration, and control. Gazebo serves as the primary simulation space for Project ODDITY within this software stack, allowing for extensive testing and validation of algorithms and designs in a virtual environment before deployment.

Control and Processing Subsystem (C.P.S.): This subsystem acts as the brain of Oddity, orchestrating the seamless integration and execution of all complex activities. It consolidates data from various rover sensors and cameras, processes it in real-time, and executes sophisticated control algorithms to govern the rover's movements and responses, ensuring effective decision-making. For image processing tasks, we utilize custom-trained YOLOv11 models.

Autonomous Navigation Subsystem (A.N.S.): Responsible for Oddity's independent movement across challenging landscapes, this subsystem employs advanced decision-making algorithms like SLAM and sensor fusion. It enhances obstacle avoidance capabilities, enables autonomous roving, and uses image processing for ARUCO tag localization to determine the rover's precise position and orientation.

Drive Subsystem (D.S.): This subsystem encompasses the meticulously designed mechanical components that dictate the rover's movement, stability, and adaptability. It includes the chassis and the six-wheel rocker-bogie suspension system, providing superior maneuverability over harsh terrains.

Communication Subsystem (C.S.): The Communication Subsystem ensures vital connectivity between the rover and the base station. It utilizes multiple frequency bands (5 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 900 MHz) for transmitting FPV camera feeds, sensor data, and receiving commands, facilitating efficient coordination and data exchange.

Manipulator and Sample Collection and Identification (M.S.C.I.) Subsystem: This subsystem is equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom serial manipulator (the robotic arm) specifically designed for sample collection tasks. It allows for precise manipulation and interaction with environmental elements.

Electrical and Power Subsystem (E.P.S.): The Power Subsystem is responsible for providing reliable electrical power to all of the rover's components. It focuses on balancing energy efficiency, weight, and the diverse power needs of the rover's functionalities, ensuring continuous operation through efficient power management and thermal regulation.

Science Subsystem (S.S.): Dedicated to scientific exploration, this subsystem is designed to test soil and rock samples on interplanetary surfaces. It analyzes compositions, gathers environmental data using various instruments and sensors, performs remote sensing, and processes collected data to provide valuable insights into the terrain's characteristics. A key capability of this subsystem is its ability to detect extinct or extant life

Sponsorship Request

We deeply admire PCBWay's outstanding support for student innovation, and we believe your sponsorship would significantly help us meet our design goals with professional-grade fabrication. We would be thrilled to represent PCBWay as a sponsor throughout the lifecycle of Project ODDITY.

The current sponsorship requirements as follow:

1. PCBs for the various subsystem's including drive, communications , power and science.
2. Three CNC gearboxes for the robotic arm.

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Connect with Us

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddityrover

Website: https://oddityrover.co

Reach us out at : gangulyshreyaskar@gmail.com

• IRC
• URC
• Space Technology
• Robotics
• Mars rover