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.