Project CRATER is a hands-on student project building modular systems for Mars-like exploration, navigation, and scientific discovery. We're solving tasks such as autonomous controls, robotic arm manipulation, scientific planning, resource extraction and autonomous droning. The European Rover Challenge is one of the world's leading space robotics competitions, supported by ESA and NASA experts. We're using the Competition to establish a baseline for future student exploration robotics at ETH.

Originally, we focused on in-situ resource utilization technologies, but we quickly realized we need a mobile transport platform to make any of it usable in the field. With our strong background in robotics and experience in international teams, we saw this competition as the perfect launchpad to build ETH’s first student robotic rover!