Frequently Asked Questions

There is no limit to the team size for the Australian Rover Challenge. We would encourage you to consider how effectively you will be able to manage large numbers (>40) of team members, however there are no rules or requirements surrounding the size of a team.

"Off-board positioning system" as stated in 3.11 was not intended to cover local radio frequency solutions, only global navigation satellite systems. If external antennas are used, please make sure the antennas conform to the relevant rules in 3.13.

Full question: We have purchased Ilmenite Flour as recommended in Appendix B.3, understanding that it is essentially a ground version of Ilmenite sand. However, upon conducting XRD and IR spectroscopy analyses, we detected the presence of other compounds within the sample. This might be due to accidental mixing at the supplier's end, as they package and resell materials directly from their shop.

To ensure that we achieve accurate results and maximise our score, could you please confirm whether the calculation should take into account the presence of other components in the Ilmenite sand mixture, or should we only consider the percentage weight of Ilmenite itself?

A: Your score for the activity is only dependent on your measured proportion of Ilmenite in the sample.

1. What form will it be in (physical or digital and what file type)?
2.  How long before the 40-minute task time we will be given the schematic?
3.  Are we given the outer dimensions of the pitch in the schematic?

A: Answers to each point provided below:

1.  Digital. PDF, JPEG, PNG or similar. We cannot guarantee it will be exactly the same format and details as the ARCh 2024 version, but it will be similar. The 2024 version is available here.
2.  At least 12 hours before the start time of the task.
3.  Yes, they can be deduced from the grid and scaling.

1. Can the pavers (lying on top of each other in the dedicated payload) have a groove that allows the top one to slide parallel to the bottom one?
2. Does the word "deployment" in 11.7.3.2 refer to the entire process of placing pavers or just pulling from the dedicated payload?
3. What does the word “mesh” in 11.7.3.2 refer to? Does it refer to the prohibition of using a geometric connection (like a puzzle) or a physical mesh? This question is related to the previous one, because in videos from last year we saw one team using something like puzzle which would mean either that the deployment includes taking out of the dedicated payload only, or that mesh does not mean shape connection.
4. If mesh means a shaped connection between the pavers, can they be magnetically connected after being pulled out of the dedicated payload?
5. Can the box be lifted by the rover (according to section 11.7.2.4 we understand that it can)? In such a situation, can it include its own mechanism for laying pavers? Our hypothetical scenario assumes, for example, that the dedicated payload is lifted and the rover drops pavers using it in the targeted locations.

A: Answers to each point provided below:

1. This would not achieve maximum points as it would not mean the paver is "completely flat" as required by 11.7.4.2. If these grooves are included in the 1.1m^2 of deployed area, the proportion of the raised sections will be subtracted from the total score. For example, if you cover 1.1m^2 but the grooves take up 0.1m^2, you would score 27 out of a possible 30 points.
2. The entire process of deploying the pavers.
3. A physical mesh such as this product, or solution such as that deployed by Monash in 2023 - essentially a large net with small tiles embedded within it. The rules have changed from 2023 to 2025, so be careful drawing many other conclusions from this example, and ask questions if you are not sure.
4. As above, you cannot use magnets to connect pavers at any time during this task.
5. That is permitted. UQ were going to attempt this in 2024 but unfortunately had some rover issues. Their payload box had electronics in it and was remotely controlled by the rover. Separate systems are permitted for Excavation and Construction, and must conform to the rest of the rules of the competition, such as communications, e-stop, LEDs indicating powered on status, and size/weight for that task.

No chemical reagents are permitted to be used for direct reaction with the icy regolith simulant (i.e. mixing). This does not preclude the use of chemical reactions for the extraction of water from regolith to generate heat (i.e. exothermic reaction in a closed system) external to the chamber/system containing the icy regolith. In the context of lunar ISRU, you are extracting pure water for downstream applications with strict purity requirements. Although chemically driven extraction techniques are feasible, they introduce contaminants which can accumulate within the reaction vessel and reduce long-term yield, and also require replenishment of reactants which means more mass to be shipped from Earth, reducing profit margins and overall efficiency.

Teams may be able to on other communication bands, only after they receive explicit written permission from the judges to do so. If your team wishes to operate on a different communications band, please email us at auroverchallenge@adelaide.edu.au. Other communications bands will not be monitored and may have other noise or traffic.

There was an error in the points allocations. Activity 4: Paver construction should be worth 30 points, not 35 points.

There are a range of online suppliers for ilmenite sand or concentrate. The competition ilmenite is purchased from Iluka Resources. if you would like to use exactly the same material for testing, they can be contacted at DLAUWACapel_LaboratoryMarketing@iluka.com (making sure you also CC in Rachel.Lanagan@iluka.com). If you have not received a response to an initial request, please email Rachel.Lanagan@iluka.com directly to follow up.

As stated in Rule 10.4 (Activity 1), teams are only required to image each site (two ice-cemented and two ilmenite-enriched) to obtain up to 20 points (Rule 10.4.1), and then use passive or active techniques to quantify the amount of ilmenite in each deposit (Rule 10.4.4) for an additional 20 points as part of the Space resources Presentation (Rule 10.6.1.2). You are not expected to provide ilmenite to judges, simply quantify the amount present at each site. As stated in Rule 10.5 (Activity 2) teams are expected to excavate material from the icy sample site with the aim of extracting liquid water. Only water extracted from ice-cemented sites (i.e. the 'processed material') is required to be given to judges (Rule 10.5.2.5) and will qualify for up to 50 points available for Activity 2.

Thanks for pointing this out. The rule has been simplified to remove additional information and now reads: “For 900 MHz, teams must adhere to ACMA regulations regarding power (-dB) and frequencies occupied.”  

As long as the operator on your team has a valid amateur radio license and adheres to both the ACMA regulations and ARCh ruleset. If you are intending to do this, please contact the technical committee.

No. There will be two samples of 'icy regolith' to excavate and process. Your team may sample each site to estimate water content (if that is your approach). Your team must select one of these sites to excavate from for further processing. Your goal is simply to maximize the amount of water you provide to judges, and your score for this activity is weighted against the mass and purity of your material compared to other teams, as described in the rules.

The arena surface consists of loamy-sand. This rule is stating that your part must not protrude off the 'ground' within the arena by more than 2cm. 

The heights of landmarks will not exceed 1.5m above the arena surface.

No. Neither of these would be allowable. The only permissible actions are outlined in the rules, with 12.6.2 and 12.6.3 being particularly relevant. It is also worth emphasising that “controls” refers to all input devices (so keyboards, mice, etc.), whether they map to controlling the rover or not, as having the team cease all interaction is the only reasonable way to demonstrate autonomy.

Finding a standard material that is available nation-wide, and also for international teams, is very difficult. The White Washed Bunnings Sand is really just relatively pure silica (quartz). White just means the colour of the quartz sand, and washed, just means the silt and clay-sized particles and mineral constituents have been largely removed. Basically, all playgrounds' sand is white and washed, so using something like that in your testing should set you up well for the challenge.

The specific details of the placards to be imaged have not been revealed. For this year’s challenge, you will need to present images of the placards to the base station judge, who will be able to consistently determine what counts as “successfully imaged” – and as such, recognition by your team members is not required. The placards will be designed such that you will not need to resolve features smaller than 10mm in size.

Appendices can be used in the SAR reports to ensure they are comprehensive stand-alone documents. This should be done by including key information or analysis in the main body and referring to appendices for more detail where appropriate. Appendices are not directly mentioned in the current SAR guidelines but are certainly common good practice and are referred to in the “ARCh 2025 – General Critical Design Review Feedback” document provided to all teams as a pdf attachment to the "ARCh 2025 - CDR results, SAR refinement, and FAQ update" email in December 2024 as a sensible inclusion. It is well worth revisiting that advice document as you continue to develop and refine your SAR reports.

The technical committee has discussed this issue, and the current plan is to allow a maximum of seven base station members as was done for the 2024 challenge. Keep in mind this number may be adjusted due to health regulations if they change in the meantime.

The ice-cemented samples for the Space Resources Task will be prepared in the metal containers as specified in the Rules & Requirement document (see Appendix B1). Although moving the container is a creative and efficient way to go about things, this is not in the spirit of what this activity is trying to achieve. The samples are merely in the containers to facilitate them being frozen and replaced for each team. The intent is to simulate a subsurface deposit of icy lunar regolith that the rover digs up in some way. You cannot move the containers.

As per Rule 3.4.2, a rover which meets the size requirements upon the start of the task may articulate, fold or deploy structures once the task has begun that exceed these size limitations. We will apply the same logic to the standalone processing unit where its initial size dimension limitation (40 x 40 x 40 cm) at the start of the task must be adhered to, and upon the task start, it can articulate or deploy to exceed these dimensions.

Any equipment not required to operate the rover, is not to be included in the cost report. For example, the computer, controller, modem, antenna are all required to operate the rover and must be included in the cost report. Recording equipment, lights etc. do not need to be included in the cost report.