General Integrated Science Year 11

Unit 2
5% of Year
Term 2 Semester/Year Semester 3 2017
Assessment
Planetary Pasta
Teacher Mrs Morritt Assessment Task 16
Rovers

Assessment Task 16 Design Brief

Design, build and test a pasta planetary rover.

Theme: In Design Teams design and build and test a pasta planetary rover.
Each Design Team is to follow the instructions below to design, build and test a pasta planetary
rover.

This image shows two test versions and one flight spare of three generations of Mars rovers developed at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. From left, the featured rovers are: The full-
scale test version of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed on Mars in 2004; the flight spare for
the first Mars rover, Sojourner, which landed on Mars in 1997; and a full-scale test version of the Curiosity
Mars rover, which landed on Mars in August 2012. The rovers are seen in JPL's Mars Yard testing area.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/images/activities/rover_family.jpg

MATERIALS:
Planetary Pasta Budget Sheet Inclined plane
Pasta as set out on Planetary Pasta Budget Sheet Stopwatch
Glue
PROCESSES: Work in a Design Team (2 to 4 students) to design, budget for and build a
planetary pasta rover that can roll down an inclined plane.
1. Examine rover images and identify the main parts of a rover (e.g., wheels, body, science
instruments, axles, suspension, cameras, etc.).
2. Rovers are expensive to build and require careful engineering, often incorporating new
technologies.
3. Design Teams may only use pasta and glue, and they will have to stay within a budget of
$50,000,000 for supplies. Fortunately, glue is considered an incidental expense and will not
be billed.
4. Examine the types of pasta available. Brainstorm ideas and sketch concepts for the pasta
rovers on paper.
5. When the Design Team has workable concepts, building is to start. Note: Some pasta will
break or not work out as students expect. Rover cost is based on total pasta (used or
wasted) in the final product as an option.
6. Each Design Team is to name their rover.

CRITERIA: Criteria for the Planetary Pasta Rover

Each Design Team builds a rover;

1. and as they prepare to run their rover, they explain the design of the rover and the intent of
the design.
2. that will travel down a one-meter ramp (to gain speed) and continue to travel on a smooth
surface at least one additional meter.
3. travels beyond the one additional meter to rest at the furthest point.
4. stays together as it travels down the length of the inclined plane.
5. and runs one rover at a time by having the team place their rover at the top of the ramp
and letting it go without pushing it.
6. Mark distance travelled by each rover on the flat surface with masking tape and the name
of the rover.
7. If time allows, Design Teams are encouraged to engage in the iterative design process by
building a second rover, improving on the design and performance of their first rover.